


The Cat, The Mouse, & The Angel (Riverdale's Fruit Basket)

by daintyblues



Category: Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Anger Management, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bughead fluff, Cheryl Blossom & Betty Cooper Friendship, Cute Sweet Pea (Riverdale), Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Fruits Basket - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Jealous Archie Andrews, Jealous Jughead Jones, Long, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, Possible smut, Protective Archie Andrews, Protective Jughead Jones, Riverdale, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soft Betty Cooper, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements, barchie, barchie fluff, bughead - Freeform, but still has some darker themes, zodiac animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 80,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25743484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daintyblues/pseuds/daintyblues
Summary: After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, 16-year-old high schooler Betty Cooper takes matters into her own hands and moves out... into a tent.Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret.She’s taken in by one of the Sohmas, where she meets Archie & Jughead Sohma. What was that secret they were hiding?(or, Betty gets wrapped in a huge mess of love triangles, zodiac animals, and worst of all.. curses. Not your average supernatural fanfic.)
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones/Betty Cooper/Archie Andrews
Comments: 42
Kudos: 19





	1. When Cat, Mouse, & Angel Met

**Author's Note:**

> wow.. has it been a while yet again? i seem to randomly get writers block. during the quarantine ive actually got quite into anime despite being completely uninterested prior to the quarantine.
> 
> my account is usually for bughead, but i’m completely open to barchie too in the fanfic. thats what we’ll be going with in this.
> 
> the romance is slow to start but it gets much better in the second chapter!
> 
> really really recommend listening to specific music for specific parts of the fanfic. like if there’s a romantic scene listen to a romance song or even if there’s a dark part listen to “dark” music. it literally makes it sooo much better. 
> 
> NOT BETA’D..
> 
> :(
> 
> anyway, enough of my blabbering, enjoy!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Betty’s hand came to block the sun while she looked up at the sky. “Gosh, it’s September and it still hasn’t warmed up.” She chirped, more surprised then annoyed as she ducked into her tent. On a small makeshift bed inside was a picture of a beautiful, smiling blonde woman.

  
Betty smiled at the sight and waved to the picture. “Look over my stuff, okay mom?” With that said, she zipped up the tent and then bounded away onto a dirt path. “See you after school!”

A young schoolgirl speaking to a photograph might be strange to the average passer, but to Betty, that was daily routine. Not saying goodbye to her mother would leave a spot open in her heart for the rest of the day until she was able to get home.

Water rushed across in a small river and birds sang above her as she walked. The forest was peaceful in the day, bounding with life at every step. The blonde couldn’t help but admire nature at its finest. Eyes finding her watch, she checked the time and realized that it was rather early. She’d have some time to explore the area.

So, she took off on foot, jogging around the area until she arrived at a small ledge. At first it seemed ordinary, but as she neared, her eyes were greeted with a beautiful sight of the entire city below her. The breeze lightly brushed her school uniform and weaved through her hair as she took it all in.

As she basked in the warm morning glow, a small _ding_ sound caught her attention. Turning her head to the side, her eyes widened as she noticed a house further down the ledge. Curiosity killed the cat, but Betty wasn’t listening to that instinct right now.

Skipping away from the ledge and instead carefully stepping towards the side of the house, she inquisitively peeked around the corner. Nobody seemed to be in her way or at the house, so she let herself be guided forward by her own persistence. She had no idea there was a house here.

Soon she found herself at the front, where the sliding doors had been opened. Inside, she noticed 9 small, smooth rocks painted as animals. Instantly she realized that these were the zodiac animals, present in the Japanese Zodiac. Letting out a soft laugh, she thought about how cutely they had been painted.

Right as she was about to bend down to get a proper look, a male voice startled her. “Hello.” It was a single word, but it was clear he was confused.

Betty jumped up, squealing as she stumbled back.

“This is weird. We don’t get a lot of young girls around here.”

The blonde bent down quickly in apologizes. “Good morning sir! I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have been looking around without permission!” She stammered with her apology, completely exasperated and embarrassed as her face became a deep red.

The male neared closer and got down onto his knees next to the rocks. “It’s fine! I just didn’t think that a young girl like you would find this place interesting.” He explained, a smile coming across his features.

Now that Betty could calm down and get a good look at him, she noticed that he hadn’t really seemed threatening in the first place. He had dark brown locks around his eyes, straightened. He was in a green robe, and though he was tall, he didn’t seem like he was going to hurt her.

Betty let her nerves die down more. “Oh, I actually do, though. Especially these zodiac figurines you’ve got? They’re adorable.” She said in awe, bending back down to look at the painted rocks.

The man’s smile was still present as he spoke. “Yes, they’re a favorite of mine too.” He responded in agreement, his eyes coming over to look at Betty with a warm expression.

  
Betty’s eyebrows furrowed for a second. “Except.. it looks like another set without the cat.” She seemed saddened by this, a small pout coming to her lips as her eyes met with the new stranger.

“The cat? Oh, I see. You’re thinking about the old zodiac folktale aren’t you?”

Betty’s expression grew happier as she nodded. “Yes! My mom would tell it to me over and over to me when I was little.”

—

_“One upon a time, God decided to have a banquet. He told all the animals that they were all invited.” Alice Cooper pulled her arm around her daughter, who was snug in a blanket as she told the story. “..but the rat was mischievous and loved to play pranks. So, he lied to his neighbor, the cat. He told him the banquet was actually the day after tomorrow. The next day the rat rode on the ox’s back to the banquet and arrived first at their destination. After him came the ox, the tiger, and the rest of the animals, and they all feasted until dawn. All of them, that is, except the cat.”_

_Betty felt tears spring to her eyes, her little hands grasping the sheets and ripping them off her. “Poor cat! From now on, I’m a cat! Not a dog!” She yelled through tears, raising her fist to the window._

_Little did 7-year-old Betty know, that one could not simply change their birth year so easily._

—

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken so much until the man in front of her let out a breath. “Ah. I wonder if he heard that story, what would he feel.”

Betty was confused at the statement and laughed a little. “Uh, pardon?”

He didn’t answer her question and instead continued on. “So, you’re the year of the dog, huh? That makes me feel that much closer to you already. After all, I am the dog-”

  
In front of her, Jughead smashed his his book bag against the man’s head. “Will you at least try and conceal your urges?” He glowered, rolling his eyes.

“My head..”

Jughead hadn’t even seemed to realize the blonde was there until his eyes turned to Betty. “Miss Cooper? Hello, I hoped my cousin here hasn’t frightened you too badly.” His tone was playful, but also a little serious as he started to put his book bag around his shoulders.

“Jughead! I hadn’t even realized you’d be here! I mean- good morning!” She bent down quickly in greeting as she felt her face flush yet again for the second time this morning.

The male that had been speaking with her rubbed his head and groaned. “Do you have a dictionary in there or something?”

“Two dictionaries,” Jughead responded cooly, fitting it around his shoulders with ease. He then turned to Betty and a small smile came across his face. “Good morning.”

Still rubbing his head, he looked between the two scholars. “You two know each other?"

Betty’s face was still flushed as she quickly bent down again in introduction. Jughead never failed to make her quiver. She could see why all the girls fluttered around him desperately, craving his attention. “My name is Betty Cooper, nice to meet you.”

Jughead quickly chipped in. “We are in the same class, so basically the same year.. I think.” The explanation gave a bit more insight to their relationship, which was close to nothing.

Finally removing the hand from his head, the man’s smile came back. “Same here. My name is Sweetpea Sohma, Jughead’s my little cousin.” He pointed to the brunette next to him.

Jughead looked a little perplexed as he took a closer look at Betty. “What brings you to our house, Miss Cooper?”

That was what _really_ set Betty into an embarrassed and exasperated state once again. “I-I live around here!” She did not want anyone finding out she lived in a nearby tent, especially not Jughead or Sweetpea.

Sweetpea gave Jughead a quick look before tilting his head a little at Betty. “You live around.. here?” He pursed his lips, but before they could interrogate her more, the blonde burst away from the pair and started walking quickly away.

“I’ve really got to get to school!” She called back as a feeble excuse.

“Wait! Miss Cooper!” Jughead followed, going down the small steps and taking long strides after her. “You’re going to school? Why don’t we walk together?” He too looked confused, but the smile was reassuring.

Taking one look at him, the blonde knew there was no way she could reject. If she did, when would there be a chance to talk to him again?

—

“Alright Miss. Cooper, explain. What is the meaning of this?” Isabelle glowered, two hands on her hips as she stood in front of the blonde.

Betty looked around the girl and noticed her three minions alongside her. “I’m.. sorry?”

Isabelle looked even more angered. “Don’t you know me? You should! I’m Prince Jughead’s representative, Isabelle Mito.”

Betty could almost laugh but didn’t want to make them even more annoyed at her. “Prince Jughead?” She questioned, putting both hands behind her back.

Suddenly each of her minions were announcing the principles.

_“Never misappropriate Prince Jughead’s effects!”_   
_“Never enter Jughead’s home without permission!”_   
_“Never speak to Jughead without someone else present!”_

The three then raised their noses at her, moving back to Isabelle’s side. “Now do you understand? The Prince Jughead Club is dedicated to worshipping the prince who has graced our school with his presence.”

With each word Isabelle moved closer, and then pointed a manicured finger at her. “You have publicly disregarded the regulations we have painstakingly crafted for Prince Jughead’s protection! Now, we expect a thorough explanation on why you arrived to school with Jughead today. Speak!”

Betty put her hands up and shook her head. “This is just a misunderstanding. It was a coincidence, is all.”

_Jughead Sohma._

He’s was only a freshman, and he’s pretty quiet, but thanks to his good looks—he’s already the prince of their school.

“If that were a good excuse, we wouldn’t need the club now would we?” Isabelle scoffed, and before Betty could say anything else, all four girls started yelling different phrases. Some yelling about Jughead, others about her disrespect, or how naive she had been.

“Hey. Don’t pick a fight over something stupid just because your ego got bruised.” Cheryl Blossom snapped, hands crossed over her chest as she stood behind the four girls. Next to her was Toni Topaz, giving them each a cold stare.

The girls jumped and ran to the side. Isabelle pointed at Cheryl. “You’re the one to talk! You delinquents think that making fret solves everything!” Her face was now a light pink, making sure to keep her distance from both Toni and Cheryl.

“I’ll use my waves, so play nice.” Toni’s voice was calm, almost soothing, but the meaning behind it sent the girls stumbling over each other to get away.

Cheryl jumped on Betty and gave her a bear hug, putting her chin on Betty’s head. “You poor thing, corned by those stupid girls.” She sighed.

Betty laughed, putting her hands to Cheryl’s chest and lightly pushing so she could breathe. “Thanks. I just don’t even know how to put up with them.”

Cheryl joined in her laughter and then looked towards Toni. “Hey, don’t actually use your waves.”

—

_Home Economics._

That was something in school Betty excelled at, so she was grateful she had this class.

“You know, it _was_ pretty weird you showing up with the prince to school.” Cheryl commented, taking six plates and set them out across the table.

The blonde continued to stir the soup in the large pot. “Yeah, it was pretty.. different. He’s almost too hot.” The blonde meant that as a joke, but it was actually the complete truth.

Toni suddenly spoke, a shiny knife in her hand. “You know, there’s something about his waves that I find rather strange.” She looked at the sharpened knife before putting it back into its casing.

Cheryl couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she sat down onto a nearby stool. “Another installment of Toni’s wave report.” Cheryl always pretended like she was uninterested, but Betty could tell that each time Toni mentioned the waves, she was hooked.

“In what way, Toni?” Betty asked, looking over to where Jughead was busy talking to some of his buddies.

“That’s the thing. I’m not exactly sure.” Toni seemed a little annoyed she couldn’t figure it out, so she presented a small glare at him before turning back.

“He does kinda give off a mysterious vibe. I heard a sophomore confessed her love to him a while back. She went in for a hug and she went flying. Scared the hell out of her.” The redhead recalled, accepting the bowl of rice Betty had cooked.

Betty hadn’t known that. That was rather.. weird. Why would he do that?

“Anyway, Toni and I are going to go shopping after school. You’re coming with us.” Cheryl said it as if it was a fact.

Betty looked down at the plate of food she had prepared for class. “I wish I could go, but I have work today after school.”

Throwing her head back with a loud sigh, she turned back to Betty. “Damn. You got a raw deal. Working almost every day because you promised to pay your own tuition? You work almost daily. That’s kinda lot just for tuition, don’t you think?”

Betty didn’t hesitate in her response. “Well, I’d like to live by myself after I graduate and housing can be expensive. That means I have to start saving up now.”

Cheryl barely wanted to hear it. She had always been against Betty working almost everyday, but nothing was stopping the girl. “For now though, you’re still living with your grandpa right? That old geezer better be feeding you well at least, and not squeezing the wages out of you.”

Betty, by no means, could tell Cheryl that she was living in a tent. If she knew, she’d probably drive her motorcycle straight into her grandpa’s house and demand answers.

—

She had been late packing up for the day, so she started to speed walk as she made her way down the empty stairs. As she was doing so, she noticed Jughead at the bottom of the stairs. Rushing a little more to meet him, she stood in front of him with a wave. “Sohma! Thanks for this morning, you didn’t have to.”

Jughead turned to her and once again his facial features became less serious. “It’s quite alright. I should be apologizing for Sweetpea.”

  
Following him as he made his way out of the school, she started to walk beside him. “Not at all! He was super sweet. He even let me look at his zodiac figurines.”

Jughead nodded slowly. “Oh yeah. I believe you were saying something about being a cat?” He questioned, momentarily turning his gaze to meet Betty’s.

Betty’s cheeks grew warm. “Yeah, I was kinda a strange little kid.”

Jughead seemed to have strong feelings about the subject. His voice was calm, but his words pierced. “The cat is an idiot. Stubborn too. Did you know that the zodiac had started as a way to tell time? Other elements were folded in later. The math never left any room for the cat to begin with, but honestly.. I think that’s for the best anyway. Stupid cat.”

Suddenly, despite his words, he fully turned his body towards hers and stopped. It was then that Betty stopped too, trapped in his trance. She really understood the Prince Jughead Club now. He was glorious.

The loud beeping of her watch shook her from her trance, and her face became pale as she started to walk even faster. “Oh no, I’m sorry! I need to hurry up and get to work!” The blonde squeaked.

“Miss Cooper?”

Betty stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Uh, yes?”

Jughead took a step towards her and plucked a stray leaf that had landed in her hair. “There hasn’t been much color in your face today, and it’s still so hot. You should be careful not to push yourself too hard.” He flicked the leaf away, gave her a wink, and then started to walk to the direction of his house.

Betty, however, was still replaying the scene in her head. Even when she was almost late to work, it was completely worth staying the extra couple minutes.

—

_Her mother had been wonderful. After their father had died from a severe cold, Alice worked hard to put food on the table and a roof over their heads._

_Betty had done everything she could to help out her mother, whether it be calculating the household expenses or learning how to cook._

_It was hard to think that such a brilliant, loving person had died in a car accident so gruesome._

_Everyone at her funeral fought over who would take custody of her, but it ended up being her own feeble grandfather. He was gentle, and kind. He made sure to take good care of her._

_However, only after a short time, her grandpa informed her that while his house was reonvated she would have to stay somewhere else.. like a close friend._

_She couldn’t have put that burden on Cheryl or Toni, so she decided that it would be best if she took care of herself. After all, she’s going to have to live alone eventually. It was a chance for her to see if she’s up to the challenge. Even if the only place she could afford to live was a tent she bought on sale._

_Anywhere could be home once she got used to it, right?_

—

“Ugh, I’m so tired of getting takeout or eating out every night.” Sweetpea complained as they made their way home on the dirt path. Jughead trudged in front, hair bristling with annoyance.

“The clear solution is to make dinner.” Jughead said simply, hands in his pockets and not bothering to look at his older cousin.

“Except.. you complain every time I cook something.”

Jughead licked his lips. “Maybe I would stop complaining so much if _someone_ would stop putting pickled radishes in the curry.”

Sweetpea let out a humorless laugh. “As if you’re any more competent than I am. Please, you’re awful around the house. We could really stand to have someone who could cook.” Sweetpea’s eyes trailed down to under the path where he noticed the girl, Betty, walking home.

“Speaking of.. isn’t that the girl I met this morning? Betty? Maybe she really does live around here.”

Jughead watched her from afar. “I heard her mother passed away a little while ago, so she could live around here.” Jughead inquired, looking more closely at the blonde schoolgirl.

“..but none of the land has been rented. Not outside the family.”

—

Betty stumbled into her tent, zipping it open. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, her body just wanting to rest from the days events. “Hi mom,” she greeted to the photograph, rubbing a thumb over the frame.

“I feel lightheaded, but I have some homework to finish. I just.. should go wash my face, that should help.” She moved out of the tent, about to stand up when she noticed both Jughead and Sweetpea standing over her in shock.

Betty gasped, eyes widening. Only a moment of silence passed before Sweetpea started laughing hysterically at the girl, and _didn’t_ stop.

“It isn’t that funny.” Jughead said irritably.

—

Soon, Betty, Sweetpea, and Jughead were all sitting around a table discussing her situation.

“I thought something was a little strange. The Sohma family owns all the land in this area.” Jughead explained, trying to ignore Sweetpea who was laughing into his robes still.

Betty looked down at her hands that were curled around her thighs. “Would it be okay if I lived there just a little longer? I’ll leave as soon as the renovations are over, I swear. I don’t have a lot of extra money, but I’ll pay.”

Sweetpea shook his head. “That’s a dangerous spot. Not to mention-”

“Oh, you’re _finally_ done laughing..”

Ignoring his cousin, he continued. “..a young girl like you won’t do well living alone in a tent.”

Betty shook her head quickly. “No! It’s alright! I’m even used to the slugs! I promise you, I have the willpower to see this through, so pleas..” She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as her head lolled to the side, feeling unstable.

“Miss Cooper!” Jughead rushed to her side, pressing his hand against her forehead. “Looks like she has a little bit of a fever.”

The blonde put a hand on his shoulder and regained her composure. “I’m completely fine. Don-Don-t worry about me.”

Sweetpea picked himself up and headed towards the kitchen. “Not too worry! I will get ice.” Before he did so, though, a loud wolf howl could be heard even through the walls.

“Hmm. See? What did I just tell you? Part of the cliff has crumbled.” Sweetpea put a hand to his chin, looking down at the pair below.

The prince reached for the first-aid kit and payed barely any mind to his cousins antics.

The blonde, though, didn’t seem so sure. “Surely nowhere near my tent.” She smiled, looking between the two.

Sweetpea replied with a nervous smile. “Surely not!”

The two erupted in an anxious laugh which made Jughead uncomfortable.

“Enough. Where is it then?”

—

Before she knew it, they were standing in front of a collapsed ledge that had trapped her tent completely in dirt. She stood in shock for a moment, and then the phase of denial came onto her.

She jumped onto the huge pile of dirt, clawing her through uselessly. “Mom is still there! She’s still there!” Betty cried, her pawing at the dirt barely denting it. Jughead, before she knew it, had gotten on his knees next to her, pulling her away.

“Miss Cooper. You really need to calm down.” Jughead said in a raspy whisper, but she shook her head at him.

“She can’t breathe.” She whispered back, turning her eyes back towards the tent submerged in soil and broken rock.

“Betty,” Sweetpea knelt too, taking one of his hands into hers. “Why don’t we come back in the morning when there’s more light? What if something happened to you? I doubt your mother would want you to get hurt, right?”

Before she knew it, she was being coaxed back into the Sohma home.

—

She didn’t remember being put into a warm bed and a blanket placed over her, but that was her current situation. With Sweetpea standing over her, she couldn’t have been more embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve lost my home again.”

Sweetpea nodded and moved closer. “ _I’m_ sorry. That must be tough.” His voice was solemn.

Betty closed her eyes. “No. I mean, I wish it hadn’t happened, but I’ve gone through worse.”

Sweetpea furrowed his eyebrows. “Worse than this? Like what?”

The blonde pulled the blanket halfway over her face. “..like, missing the chance to say goodbye. It was the morning of the day my mom died. I’d stayed up almost all night studying for a quiz. She was leaving for work, but I couldn’t wake up. It was the only morning I didn’t say it. I always did, except for that one time.”

Sweetpea didn’t know what to say. He had never been the best at consoling people.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about quitting school and getting a job instead.. but my mother had always wanted me to graduate. Gosh, she was the best mom. I didn’t even open my eyes to say goodbye. I’m an idiot. Bad grades, getting a job.. those shouldn’t have been the things that mattered. Mom did. The least I can do now is graduate.. from highschool like she would have wanted. I can't just lie here and do nothing because of some.. fever..” Before his eyes, she fell asleep.

  
Jughead came through the door only moments later with an icepack in his arms. “Surprising, isn’t it? She’s so cheerful and upbeat at school. Always. I wouldn’t have guessed she’d been through so much. It’s amazing, really.”

Sweetpea seemed a little taken aback. “Amazing? How so?”

Jughead spared a single glance at him before looking back down at the sleeping blonde. “Well, take the Sohmas and I for example. I thought I had broke free from them, but I hadn’t. I didn’t buy a tent like Miss. Cooper, and gone off some place where they couldn’t find me. I’m realizing that I’m spoiled.”

Sweetpea shook his head and let out a quiet sigh. “It’s actually pretty rude, you know,” he paused for a second before continuing. “Saying her suffering is amazing.” He accepted the icepack that was given to him and gently tucked it under Betty’s head.

He looked behind him to where Jughead had moved to look out the window. “Don’t tell me you’re going to go and dig up that landslide alone. That’s a lot of work for one person. Do you want me to come with you?”

Jughead let out a low grumble, his eyes glowing purple as mice and rats started to gather under him. “Alone? Oh, you know better.”

—

Betty awoke, the sunlights rays seeping out through the cracks. Blinking her eyes open, she yawned and began to stretch her arms out. However, the peace she felt came to a quick end when realization hit her. She didn’t have time for sleep, she needed to get mom out.

Picking herself up, she hadn’t even noticed she’d been changed into a big t-shirt and shorts until she ran outside. The moment she slid open the door, Jughead appeared, seemingly about to come in himself. He had two large bags in his hand.

“Good morning Miss Cooper. Are you feeling better?” He asked, setting down two bags in front of her.

Betty stumbled on her words yet again. “Yes! Well, no I need- I mean, goodmorning!” The blonde chimed, about to apologize when Jughead handed her a clean photo of her mother. “Oh goodness, did you move all that dirt by yourself?”

Jughead eyes became a little bigger at her surprise. “No, of course not, I couldn’t.”

  
Betty still looked rather perplexed as she tilted her head slightly. “Oh, how did you move it then?”

Jughead looked like he didn’t want to answer and quickly picked up the bags he had set in front of her. “I can’t tell you.. also, I’m going to put these bags upstairs. We have an extra room on the second floor you could stay in until your renovations are done.” Jughead announced, heading upstairs already.

Betty continued after him. “You don’t have to do that! I swear-“

Before she continued, Sweetpea twirled her around. “I’m glad you accepted! Welcome home! I’ll get you a copy of the house key! The bedroom doors all have locks on them, too.”

The blonde was persistent. “I’ll only be a burden you two will have to deal with!”

Jughead turned around, a small smile spreading across his face. “Miss Cooper, you’re not going to be a burden for either of us, so please just accept.” He began to walk upstairs. “Besides, where else do you have to go?”

In a way, he was correct, but at the same time.. it felt wrong to intrude on them like this. So much had happened in the past two days it was ridiculous. The Sohmas were a mystery alright.

As Sweetpea and Jughead made their way upstairs, Sweetpea stopped on a step. “Are you sure about this? She _is_ a girl.” He asked his younger cousin, looking down the steps.

“You wait until now to ask me this?” He grimaced, continuing up the wooden stairs. “As long as she doesn’t hug me, it’ll be alright.”

Sweetpea opened the door to a large room, and then muttered something about it being stuffy and needing a vacuum.

Betty came up the stairs next, surprised this room was to be hers for the time being. She suddenly felt so grateful for the generosity the Sohmas had shown to her. Looking down the hall, for a moment she wondered why Jughead’s parents were never present. Did they live somewhere else, maybe?

A loud, thunderous sound sent Betty hurling into a wall for a second before she regained her composure. Wood and framing were discarded everywhere on the floor, debris too. Something or someone had just came in through the roof. At better look, it was a tall redheaded boy. She could only see his back, but it was clear he had endured a lot of training.

“Yo! Are you ready for a beating rat boy? Let’s do this.” The redhead called out, stretching his arm out as he stared at his opponent, with seemed to be Jughead. His voice was rough, unlike Jughead’s, which was more soothing and soft.

“Honestly, why don’t you just accept it already? You’re too weak to take me.” Jughead taunted, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

“Well, too bad for you I wasn’t the same person I was before! I’ll show you!” The redheaded male yelled, getting ready to throw a punch.

Betty started to panic, forcing herself to come closer. “Wait! Can’t we resolve this-” Before she knew it she had slipped on a piece of wood and cascaded into the redheaded man.

Jughead gasped in horror, watching what happened before him as he took a step back from the situation.

The redhead yelled, trying to push her away quickly but it was too late. In a huge cloud of orange, yellow, and red, he disappeared.

Sweetpea looked from around the corner. “Hey Jughead, was that Archie’s voice I heard?”

Betty was about to get into a fit of apologizes. “I’m so sorry, are you okay? I’m being serious I didn’t-“ Betty didn’t see a human on the floor, but instead an orange cat. Picking up the small animal, she was stunned.

“Yeah. That’s him..” Sweetpea called from behind the door.

Betty was still completely stunned. “ _He was a boy..”_

“Stupid jerk..” Jughead sighed, putting a hand over his face in embarrassment.

Betty was trying to think of any explanation. “I landed on him wrong somehow and turned him into a cat! Oh, gosh, we need to get him help!” She picked herself up quickly, taking the small cat with her and started to rush towards Jughead and Sweetpea when a log from the roof landed on her head.

Letting out a surprised squeal, she tried to balance herself but ended up falling between Sweetpea and Jughead, which created a huge puff of green and blue.

No longer was Sweetpea and Jughead in front of her, but a dog and a mouse were.

_Oh no._


	2. Learning To Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i’ve decided to upload two chapters at once this time around! so here is the second chapter. i really hope you’ll enjoy this story, i’ve had a ton of fun writing it!
> 
> anyway, if you didn’t already see by the tags, this is a love triangle.
> 
> jughead sohma/betty cooper/archie sohma
> 
> this story is mainly going to be romance, but with a plot laced in between. if you’re into this already, then continue reading! if not, don’t worry, and ill see you another time.
> 
> anyway, usually i have something to say but this time i dont. until next time!

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

_Ding Dong!_

The doorbell! Thank goodness, someone would be able to help her!

“Hello? Package delivery!”

Picking up the dog into her arms and the cat, she secured the mouse onto the dog’s head before running off and opening the door to find someone with a box.

Sweat dripped down her neck as she squealed in fatigue and affliction. “They’re.. They’re all animals!”

Panting, she watched the man in front of her give a smile before looking both ways. He must think she was crazy!

“Yeah! Those are some cute pets you’ve got there!” He complimented, looking down at the three animals compiled into her arms. “Now, if you could please sign here..”

Betty shook her head and dropped the animals back down to the floor. “No! You don’t understand!” She wanted this man to somehow help them turn back into humans. How could she have turned them _all_ into animals?

The dog, which had been Sweetpea, stamped the package. Bending down, the mailman scratched between his ears. Snickering, he smiled again. “Aren’t you a smart little pooch?”

Getting back up, he started to walk away and called out as he did. “Thanks a lot ma’am! Have a great day!” Betty only watched him leave with wide eyes.

Falling to her knees, she looked down at the box. Her mind was swimming with thoughts at the moment and it was completely clouding her brain.

The orange cat, presumably Archie, hissed. “We could have covered if you jerks hadn’t transformed too!” His voice was loud and irritated, claws unsheathed.

Jughead, the mouse, rested soundly on top of Sweetpea’s head. “You’re the one who screwed up first, stupid cat.” Jughead muttered, but he didn’t seem as angry and bothered as Archie.

“Oh yeah?”

They could talk too?

“Clumsy feline.”

Sweetpea barked to stop the argument and let out a long breath. “We can either tell her the truth or make up a story she won’t believe anyway. So, as you can see I’m the dog. Jughead’s the rat, and Archie over here is the cat.”

Archie had been hissing aggressively, but soon stopped and instead tilted his head away from them with attitude. 

“We’re all possessed by zodiac spirits. Ten other members of the Sohma family are similarly possessed by the different zodiac animals. It’s.. been this way for generations. Unfortunately it doesn’t give us any especially cool powers to speak of. Pretty much all we can do is communicate with our respective animals and we transform when our bodies are weakened or when we’re hugged by someone of the opposite sex. We automatically turn human again after a while.”

As if on queue, the clouds of red, blue, and green appeared again.

“Completely naked, I’m afraid.” 

Betty turned away immediately, a deep red blush blooming on her cheeks. “Sorry!”

—

Soon they were in the living room where the boys were finishing getting dressed once again. Betty sat near the table, face still flushed and looking downwards.

“Sorry about that, I know it must have come as quite a shock to you. Now then, are you feeling a bit calmer?” Sweetpea asked, turning back towards the blonde in front of him.

In all truth, her surprise had died down but now she was just confused on how they’d even been possessed by spirits. Was this all some vivid, insane dream? She didn’t know, but whatever it was, she was going to persist.

“I think so, but it’s kinda a lot to take in..” Suddenly a realization hit her. 

_Of course. This was why Jughead pushed away that girl that attempted to hug him._

Sweetpea smirked. “I have to say, that was a pretty pathetic showing Archie. I mean, you are a trained martial artist. Shouldn’t it be a little harder for a girl to sneak up on you? You really have eyes for nobody but Jughead, don’t you?” From the back angle, it was obvious that the boy was fuming.

Turning around, his face was red from anger. “Don’t make it sound like that! It’s not my fault! You’re the ones that let a girl into this house! Why is she even here?” He yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Betty.

Betty backed away from the hand, eyes widening as her orbs moved from the finger pointing directly to her to his enraged features.

“Oh, calm yourself. You have absolutely no say on who we let into this house. You’re an outsider.” Jughead fixed his hair, barely paying attention to the redhead.

That only served to make Archie more fueled, in which caused him to land a blow to the table, splitting it in half. “Shut up!”

One of the corners knocked Betty in the forehead, making blood drip from the center. Archie took a step back. “Oh fuck.” Archie rasped, looking over at Betty with what might of been concern. 

Betty wasn’t sure though, because she was focused on Sweetpea and Jughead’s horrified look. “Is that.. blood?” Sweetpea gasped, getting up to find that first aid kid Jughead used last night.

“I’m bleeding?” Betty asked, her hands coming up to touch her forehead.

Archie watched the scene unfold in front of him with an open mouth, taking a step back. Before he could do anything else though, a swift slap was elicited from Jughead. “I knew you were a moron but I didn’t know you were this stupid. Out of respect for the sheer depth of your idiocy, I’ll do you a favor a fight you for real this time,” Jughead snarled. “So please, try not to bore me.” His voice, despite the menacing words, was still calm and collected.. like always.

The same could not be said for Archie.

“Give it all you’ve got you little boy!” Archie hollered, quickening lunging for Jughead. He attempted to pack a punch at Jughead, which the boy easily dodged.

Betty watched the two go at it with both sorrow and surprise. She hadn’t expected them to really fight this viciously. “Are they..”

Sweetpea put a hand on her jaw and tilted her face to his. “Oh, this is normal. Get them in a room together and they’re bound to go off. You know, like fire and gasoline.” He gently placed a swab of alcohol onto her bleeding forehead as he spoke.

Betty wasn’t so sure this was going to be alright as Sweepea said it would be. “Shouldn’t we stop them?”

Sweetpea shook his head, pulling back Betty’s hair. “No, let them spar. Jughead will win, like he always does.” 

It seemed that Jughead was practically dodging every one of Archie’s jabs, except for a few kicks and slaps, the freshman was rather unharmed by their combative argument. 

  
In one fell swoop, where Archie had been caught off guard, Jughead landed a swift kick to the bottom of Archie’s chin which sent him hurling to the other side of the room. In his midst, he managed to break the window and land in the nearby fountain next to the house. 

_Oh goodness._

Jughead ruffled his sleeves and shrugged. “Just as I feared. You were a bore.” He scoffed, stepping over to where Sweetpea and Betty were now standing.

Sweetpea looked pained. “It’s like you two are trying to trash my house..” he cried.

Jughead smiled warmly at Betty. “How badly are you hurt, Miss Cooper?” He examined her face and looked glad to know that she didn’t suffer any serious injuries from Archie’s anger.

Betty raised her hands and waved them. “I’m totally fine! Really, don’t worry. It was just a bump.. but is he.. okay?” The blonde asked, looking over at the fountain where struggling could be heard. 

Jughead put his lips into a thin line. “Probably, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Just as he spoke, Archie erupted from the surface of the water, bristling as he steadied himself on the rocks around. “See? He’s fine.”

Betty’s mind ran wild while she looked back at Jughead. She’d never imagined the boy known as the prince would be so tough. When he’s at school he’s so-

The blonde popped up. “Oh my gosh, I have to hurry or I’ll be late to class! I’m sorry for running off like this, but its important for me to go to school everyday!”

Sweetpea’s voice was calming. “Yes, you did promise your late mother. Don’t apologize. Though, I should let you know I will have to report you witnessed our transformation to Hermione, the family head.”

“The family head? Wow, that sounds important. Alright, I understand. I guess I should go change my clothes now.” With that said, she scampered off towards her new bedroom.

Once Jughead made sure she was gone, he turned to his older cousin. “That explains why you were so quick to tell our secret. She’ll have her memories altered, like those others did before.” 

Sweetpea looked down with a distant look in his eyes. “No, this is much different. Back then, there were so many people involved we didn’t have a choice.”

The brunette didn’t look convinced. “I must get changed too,” He started to walk up the stairs before backtracking. “Oh, stupid cat, fix the roof in her room too.” He then disappeared upstairs.

Sweetpea added on. “Archie, look after the place will you? Don’t you dare think about running off again while I’m gone either. Apologize to Betty whenever you see her, too.”

Archie was silent, instead keeping his head in his hands.

—

Betty was just getting settled into her seat when she heard Cheryl’s voice.

“Betty. It’s not like you to be late, you oversleep?” She asked, walking over to her with Toni in tow.

The schoolgirl presented a smile. There was no way she could share the Sohma secret, not even to her closet friends. “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

Two of Isabelle’s minions giggled behind her.

_“Oh, so you admit you’re super lazy?”_

_“You should have stayed at home to get more beauty rest.”_

Toni turned towards them, which sent the girls spiraling away. However the pink-haired girl didn’t let them get away as she followed after them.

Cheryl explained. “Jughead was late too so they’re extra on edge.. and extra suspicious.”

She definitely couldn’t tell them she stayed at his house.

The redhead then laughed, rubbing her head. “What a bunch of airheads. Must be nice to be so dumb.” 

From the side, the mouse spirit watched quietly. He was worried that Betty would spill their secret, even accidentally. She didn’t seem like she’d be the type of person to do so, but he wasn’t sure yet.

—

When Betty was on break, she stumbled upon the prince, who ushered her into a nearby classroom. He then leaned against the classroom wall. “What did you tell your friends? Our secret? Is it safe?”

The blonde shook her head. “I-I didn’t tell them anything. Oh no. Were you worried that I would go and blab to everybody? I promise you don’t have to worry about me,” She quickly moved closer to him until she was standing right in front of him. “My mom always told me that only bad people spill secrets that were entrusted to them.”

“No, I’m concerned-”

“Look, I’ll do an oath! We can even seal it with fire or blood if you want to.”

“No. Listen-”

“Mom apparently used to do things like that all the time-”

“That’s not the issue here!” Jughead turned towards her, pinning her up against the wall with one hand by his side and another on the wall next to her head. “I’m sorry, but even if you’re doing your best not to tell, we might end up erasing your memories anyway.” 

Betty took in a breath at the sudden announcement.

Noticing her reaction, he reworded. “Well, not literally. It’s more like a strong form of hypnotism. A long time ago the truth about me came out, just like it did this morning. I was playing around with some friends and a girl hugged me. It was a huge mess, and in the end, everyone that saw it happen had their memories suppressed.”

_…_

_“Hermione, am I really so strange that I have to hide who I am?”_

_“Yes, you are. A person turning into a rat is obviously something nobody would understand. People would be sickened by your existence, and they’d begin to avoid you at all costs. You would be utterly alone. Is that what you want?”_

_…_

Betty had noticed that his eyes became glossy, as if he was remembering something that had happened in his past. “Jughead, are you okay?”

Jughead stiffened, blinking as he moved away and towards the exit of the classroom. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go against whatever Hermione says is right for us. No matter what is decided, I must go along with it,” He then moved away from the exit, towards the back of the room to start pacing. “That’s just how it is.”

Betty shook her head, going after him and grabbing his jacket, which in turn caused him to back into her. “Hold on, I-”

The puff of blue smoke arose again, this time in a public classroom.

She panicked. “I swear it was an accident! I would never do that on purpose.” 

The mouse spirit looked down at his discarded under garments beneath him. “It’s okay as long as nobody saw.” He reassured the girl next to him, bringing his paws to his face and smoothing uneven edges of his fur.

Elizabeth Cooper moved towards him. “What I wanted to say was.. I appreciate you being concerned about me.”

The mouse turned his head around in surprise.

“It makes me happy, so thank you. I get what you said. This is an important secret I accidentally found out. Something that could have a huge effect on you. So please, I want you to do whatever you and your family feel is the safest.”

The Sohma was starting to feel a fuzzy feeling in his stomach as he watched the girl before him. It was like there were gentle bubbles all around her, creating an aurora of comfort and love.

The blonde looked back on their earlier memories of meeting. “Sure, the idea of forgetting does make me sad, but if thats what I have to do, I’ll bear it. I do have one thing to ask you though. If I forget you, please befriend me again.”

Jughead wasn’t able to say anything, because he quickly turned back into a human form. Betty looked away instantly, not being able to hide that consistent blush.

“The amount of times we stay as animals varies. There we go, all done.” He smiled as he slid on his tie.

Betty let out a soft laugh and pointed to his tie. “Oh, your tie is crooked.” She picked herself off the ground and instead stood in front of him.

He seemed embarrassed. “I’m not great when it comes to to that.” He put a hand behind his neck and scratched there, looking away from her.

Cooper payed no mind to his embarrassed state. “No sweat, that’s why you’ve got me.” She smiled as she started to adjust his tie neatly.

Jughead looked down at her in admiration, feeling the warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach continue and eventually grow into butterflies that flew around obnoxiously. 

_People would be sickened by your existence._

_You would be utterly alone._

“Miss.Cooper? You don’t feel.. sickened?” He asked carefully, almost afraid at her reaction.

“Oh no! I’m all better!” 

Jughead, inside, sighed. She had misheard sickened for ‘sick.’

“Shall we go?” He asked after she had finished, watching her adorned expression at the now neat tie.

She glanced at him with a warm smile as she picked up her bookbag. “Good idea.”

He mustered up the courage to thank her. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Her response was cheerful as always. “No problem. I’ve got a knack for neck ties.”

—

When she entered her room, she didn’t expect to see Archie standing in the middle of the room with duct tape. It looks like he had attempted to fix the ceiling and done a rather good job at it. He took once quick look at her and then glanced away. “Get a pro to really fix it. For now you just need to get the rain out, right?” He said roughly, looking the opposite way.

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” 

Archie hesitated for a second before speaking. “Hey!” 

Startled by his change of voice her eyes widened. “Y-Yes?” She clutched her book bag harder.

He squeezed the duct tape hard in his hands as he managed a couple words. “I-uh, can get.. kinda a one track mind when I’m upset. So.. about this morning. I wanted to say..” he stumbled again, the duct tape withering in his grasp as he burned with embarrassment. His voice was gruff. “.. I’m sorr-”

“Archie! Betty! I’m home! Is that clumsy kitten who lost another fight still here?” Sweetpea called from the living room downstairs.

Archie threw down the duct tape, taking the ladder in one arm and running down the stairs. “Forget it, damnit.” He growled, rushing down the stairs and leaving a confused Betty behind.

She followed closely after him. “Wait, please! What were you saying?” 

—

“It’s good news, Betty is allowed to live with us.” Sweetpea beamed, Jughead behind him who was listening closely. He looked a little surprised by the notion.

Archie was sitting out on the porch right next to the bedroom, completely turned away from the three. He was obviously very stubborn.

“So long as she continues to keep our secret.” He finished, shrugging his shoulders as he looked down at the blonde.

Betty licked her lips. “So.. that means I won’t be punished?”

Sweetpea was quick with his responses. “As long as you stay quiet, you won’t have done anything wrong.”

Betty was beyond happy. Whoever Hermione was, she was obviously a genuine person.

The mouse spirit shook his head and tsked. “To be honest, that plan sounds too good to be true. Almost like you two are scheming, and mixing up Miss Cooper in some plot or another.” Jughead squinted his eyes.

Sweetpea rubbed his neck for a second before shaking his head. “Oh come on.. would I do that?” The older cousin seemed to remember something, because he started laughing awkwardly.

The only thing that keep Jughead from investigating more was Betty’s voice that interrupted them. “Excuse me? Um, its probably a little late to be saying this, but I’m so glad I’ve gotten to meet you.”

Sweetpea resumed his beam. “The feeling is mutual!”

The prince turned away for a second as his cheeks tinted. “Um, yes. I do agree.” He couldn’t help but blush when Betty was so forward with her feelings like that. He wish he was able to do that.

Betty made her way to Archie. Despite their first encounter being.. somewhat violent, she knew that he didn’t mean to hurt her and he was just angry at the time. “..and, its a pleasure to meet you too Archie.” 

The redhead turned around, already furious. “You can leave me out of this! I’ve got nothing to do-”

Jughead quickly socked him in the face, which sent him flying outside. He fell on the ground with a loud groan and touched his head with his right hand. “You ass! What the hell was that for?”

“Go away outsider.” Jughead sneered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Say what? You-“

“Dumb cat..”

Betty almost laughed. Their bickering would probably never stop. This was what it would be like to live in the Sohma house, and if she was being honest, it wasn’t so bad.

—

Betty had spent the day cleaning up the Sohma kitchen. It had been a total wasteland, a toxic jungle. It took her at least a couple hours to finally get through some of the junk, and another hour to get it back to good condition. She was actually proud of how clean it was.

Jughead made his way into the kitchen and looked surprised. “This is amazing. Can’t believe you managed to clean up such a disgusting kitchen.”

She wiped her forehead, shrugging. “I gave it my best.” She replied modestly.

Jughead chuckled. “I didn’t even know Sweetpea owned a rice cooker..” He said in wonder, looking at the machine in awe.

“Yeah, I had to excavate it.” 

  
Soon, she had made plates for the entire family. She found cooking to be calming, especially cooking for others she enjoyed. So, serving up four plates of food hadn’t been a hassle. She started with soup, then rice, then tofu. It had been a breeze.

It had just been a while since she’d done it, so she hoped she wasn’t too rusty. Jughead was to be her first experiment.

He was just beginning to take his first bite, and Betty was already on his tail for details. “How does it taste? I hope all the flavors are coming through.”

He couldn’t lie. It was actually great. “Delicious.. I haven’t had a meal like this in a while.”

The blonde preened. Hearing someone complimenting her work sent her to the moon and back.

As Jughead continued munching on his food, he grumbled. “I wonder where Sweetpea and that idiotic cat went. It’s been a while since they left.”

In all honesty, Betty had no idea where they had gone. All she knew was that Sweetpea had dressed up in a nice suit, which meant the occasion might’ve been special. 

“I saw you leave earlier too, didn’t you?” She asked, breaking open her chop sticks. 

Jughead’s response seemed nonchalant. “Yeah, to my secret base.”

Betty’s eyes widened and they became filled with excitement and the spirit of inquiry. “What? Secret base? Is it like some private fortress?” She asked, interest practically dripping from her voice.

Jughead almost laughed at her excitement. “Probably not as interesting as you might think, but I can show it to you sometime if you’d like?”

The cook smiled. “Wait, seriously? I saw one once when I was a kid, but no girls were allowed-”

“Shut up!” Archie yelled, opening the door with such force Betty thought he would break it.

Sweetpea followed after him as he began to pace around the room. “Cant you just listen to me for a second?”

Archie banged his hand against the wall as he continued around the living room. “I’m so pissed. Is this what makes you happy? Manipulating innocent people like me?” He shouted.

The dog spirit tried to hide his smirk. “Calm down. Of course I’m enjoying this thoroughly, but it is what’s best for you.”

Archie didn’t stop pacing. “What do you know?” He snapped incredulously, turning around to the three behind him. Jughead barely payed him any mind and continued eating.

Betty butt in quickly. “Maybe sit down and eat dinner with us? Talk about it over some food in your stomachs.” She knew that Sweetpea would comply but she wasn’t sure about Archie.

“Hell no!”

The suited man started to take off his shoes at the front door. “Don’t take your anger out on her, and no shoes in the house!”

Jughead scoffed. “Says the one who did laps around the house in his..”

Sweetpea ignored his younger cousin and instead sat down in front of his plate. He could tell Betty was curious so he explained before she needed to ask anything else. “Being angry is his nature. Also.. I might’ve tricked him into taking a school transfer exam. It’s official and everything. Tomorrow our very own Archie Sohma will be walking the halls of your school. Thanks for the foo-”

Jughead barked. “You’re done. Put that down and get out.” He had a cold look on his face as he looked over at his guardian.

“I knew you’d be mad, heres the thing,” he gave a little nervous laugh before continuing. “This is good for him. He should be going to the boys school near his place, but he hasn’t shown up to class in over four months now. Apparently he’s been training in the mountains. All he wants is to beat Jughead in a fight. They’ve been rivals ever since they were kids.”

Jughead bristled before regaining his calm composure again. “He’s an idiot. Thanks for the food, Miss Cooper.” He then left the dinner table, presumably heading back up to his room.

Betty wondered about their relationship. Why did they hate each other so much? Was it because of the old folktale, where the mouse had tricked the cat? Whatever it was, it wasn’t her place to ask, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t beyond curious. She couldn’t ask Archie, that was for sure. She was positive that the boy hated her in every way.

—

_“Where is he?”_

_“Look over there!”_

_“The boy with the orange hair!”_

_“Think it’s his natural color?”_

_“He’s super cute..”_

Archie was being completely surrounded by girls, and it was obvious he was beyond uncomfortable. “So you’re cousins with Jughead? You two must be crazy close, huh?”

Cheryl, Toni, and Betty watched from afar. Toni was busy curling Betty’s hair while Cheryl watched the exchange between girls and boy. Betty could notice immediately that he’d do anything to get away. “He’s terrified..”

Her own redheaded friend observed the new kid in front of her. “I’m digging his carrottop. Not as beautiful as mine, but I’m glad to see someone else rocking the style.”

Toni curled one loop of Betty’s tresses before looking up. “His waves.. his strong waves are exactly the same as Jughead Sohmas. They’re odd. What am I sensing? It’s almost as if the waves aren’t human.”

Betty couldn’t help but think to herself that her friend’s wave report was totally spot on.

What brought the three from their thoughts was when Archie moved away from the crowd of girls around him, cheeks red and trying to conceal his anger. He started to walk away when one of the girls that had been flirting with him grabbed his sleeve. “Hey! Where are you going? We were talki-”

Archie’s number one instinct was to pin her down, so thats what he did. He took one of her arms into his hand and then elbowed her to the ground. He wasn’t trying to hurt her, he just..

_“Oh my gosh!”  
“Let go of her!”_

_“What is your issue?”  
“Get your hands off!”_

Looking around wildly, his eyes found the huge windows that doubled as their walls. Archie opened one of the clear windows and jumped out onto the cement below. He managed to land on his knees, in which he quickly got up and ran away from the building, moving across campus.

“Well, looks like he’ll be fun to have around..” Cheryl commented, propping her legs up onto a nearby desk.

Jughead followed after him, but instead went down the stairs like a _normal human being_ before looking around campus. He managed to locate him by the nearby tennis courts huddling on a bench. Archie was still panting by the time Jughead got to him. “Hey. Would you try thinking before you cause a big scene like that?”

Archie looked away towards the ground, not meeting Jughead’s eyes. “Why do you go here? This place is crawling with girls. You’re insane!” He replied aggressively, the complete opposite of Jughead’s calm stature.

“It’s better then being forced to go the all-boy’s school Hermione picked. I want at least one foot outside of the Sohma cage. I can’t understand why you want to be inside it so badly.”

Archie clenched his teeth and stood up, moving over Jughead. He still had a couple inches on him. “Of course you don’t! You never understand! I’ll beat you and become a full fledged member of the clan. I won’t let them ostracize me anymore, you hear me?” He grabbed a hold of Jughead’s collar, about to bring him down.

Betty came ripping around the corner just in time before they began to fight. The last thing she wanted was for them to begin fighting on school grounds, so before she could think she found herself wrapping her arms around Archie’s waist.

The once flaming boy was turned back into a cat, but it didn’t lessen his anger. If anything, it was doubled. His small body was visibly shaking from his rage.

“I-I’m sorry! I really am.. bu-but you shouldn’t fight at school.. you.. could get in trouble!” 

_His hair pricked up as he turned around, his tail and ears following too. “Will you shut the hell up already? This isn’t any of your business! What’s your deal anyway? Stop causing problems and get the fuck out of here!”_

“Thats enough!” Jughead exclaimed.

Suddenly Betty felt two inches tall. Though the cat was small, his words were mighty and she was heavily impacted by them. Without another word she gathered herself from the floor and walked the other way quickly. She did _not_ want to upset Archie again.

Once she rounded the corner, Archie deflated. His tail fell to the ground. “I-uh..” He stammered.

Jughead shook his head, looking down at the orange cat in disapproval. “You really are a hopeless fool.” He then turned to walk away from the scene.

Archie sat down, looking at the ground below him in what could be guessed as shame. “Aren’t you gonna kick me?”

The mouse spirit stopped for a moment to answer. “Sometimes not being kicked hurts more.”

With those words spoken, Archie’s ears moved to pin down. _Why was he like this?_

—

“Your very first day and you skip class?” Sweeptea scolded, looking into the daily newspaper. They were both sitting in the living room alone, with Archie laying across the floor. Archie didn’t dare look at Sweetpea.

It wasn’t hard for him to come up with what he had to say next. “Look, I want to leave this house.”

The dog spirit simply sighed at Archie’s statement. “This is your third night. Think of this as.. training. That’ll help you get through it.” 

The next part of talking was a bit harder on Archie but he managed to get it out. “I always end up saying mean things to her, every time..”

Sweetpea put down his paper. Archie? Talking to a girl? “Who? Oh. You must mean Betty.”

“I can’t do this, okay? I’m not cut out for living so close to other people.”

Sweetpea raised the newspaper back up again. “No, it’s just you don’t have much experience with it. Think about it this way. You can break a table in half witch one punch, we’re well aware of that, but you’re also capable of stopping that punch right before it lands. That’s because you’ve trained, and getting along with people takes practice, too. If you interact with strangers.. you might hurt them, or you might get hurt by them, but thats how you learn about other people. If you don’t do that, you’ll never be capable of connecting. So keep training, and resist the urge to run away. Then, one day, when you meet a girl who says she loves you, you’ll be able to treasure her completely.”

Archie scoffed, burying his face into his hands. “Like such a girl exists!”

“..and what will you do if she does?”

Archie ran his hands through his hair, still lying away from Sweetpea. “Thats an easy question. I’ll start out by asking her if she’s crazy.”

Their conversation was broken by Jughead entering the living room. “I’m home.” He took off his bag as he closed the door behind him. Noticing that Betty wasn’t by his side, Sweetpea furrowed his eyebrows. “Where’s Betty? Still at school?”

Jughead sat down next to Sweetpea. “She’s at work. She won’t be home until late, so I’m thinking about walking her home.”

Satisfied by the idea, Sweetpea nodded. “Yeah, thats a good idea. Perverts some time creep around these woods.”

Archie’s eyes narrowed and he got up from his resting position. “I’ll walk her home. The last thing she needs is some stupid mouse to walk her home. You couldn’t even protect her.”

—

As she was walking home, Archie’s words replayed in her head.

_“Stop causing problems and get the fuck out of here!”_

When she said she’d quit being the dog and became a cat instead, she really had meant it. She couldn’t believe the real cat spirit hated her.

Despite her thoughts, she heard footsteps behind her. Stopping where she was, she felt the hair on her neck start to sense someone coming towards her. They continued to get closer and Betty let out a gasp before landing a hard hit with her schoolbag. This could be some creep. “Leave me alone!”

It had hit dead in the face of.. Archie.

Could their friendship get any worse?

Archie barely moved and instead stared at the blonde in front of him with a blank expression before turning away quickly.

“Sorry! I was just doing practice swings! Funny running into you out here! Are you going for a walk?” She was trying to make up some type of excuse for hitting him in the face but it wasn’t working out too well.

“Cut it out. So you hit me, whatever. Just drop it.” His voice seemed annoyed, but something told her he was actually trying to be more friendly. 

Betty was silent for a moment before responding. “Okay, uh, Archie.”

“Yeah, what?” He barked, still facing away.

“Oh, I-I was just saying your name.”

“Oh yeah? Well it sounded like you were calling me!” He snapped, turning around. Once he saw her face his features softened and so did his tense muscles. Backing away from her, he swallowed and let out a long sigh.

“You can say my name without needing something.. and I know you don’t mean to cause any problems for us, and if I piss you off you can go ahead and hit me, I don’t care.”  


Was she reading this wrong, or was he actually apologizing to her?

Before she knew it she was starting to spill out her thoughts. “Hey, Archie?”

He finally met her gaze for the first time they’d spoken face to face. 

“I’m sorry I hit you.. I thought you were a pervert. That’s why I swung my bag at you!”

Archie sputtered. “Me? A pervert?”

She continued. “I actually really like you. I have always loved the zodiac cat.”

“Uh..”

“I’m serious! I even.. wanted to be born the year of the cat! I’m confusing you, what I mean is.. I want us to be friends!”

For once, Archie took a good look at the blonde below him. He felt his cheeks turn a crimson red. He had never felt such.. intimacy from someone. 

_“What if she does exist?”_

_“A girl who says she loves you.”_

_No, she wouldn’t. She’s too good for him._

Snapping out of his trance, he pushed past her. “Nothing is good about the year of the cat, okay?”

She was actually starting to understand Archie just a little bit. He could be awkward sometimes, yes, but she thought he had a gentle heart. He knows what it feels like to be sorry, and he’s an honest person.

—

“Why Archie, you little deviant..” Sweetpea teased as they ate their dinner, looking between Archie and Betty. The redhead had subconsciously made sure that Jughead would not be sitting next to Betty, instead he would be.

“What gives you the right to call me that?” Archie said with a bang on the wooden table.

Sweetpea wasn’t near done. “You know Betty, he personally made sure to walk you home from work so you’d get home safe and sound..”

The redhead grasped the chopsticks tightly in his hand. “That was a one-time thing! It won’t happen again!”

Jughead kept a cool posture but inside he was slightly boiling. Why did Archie suddenly care about walking Betty home when he had screamed at her a couple hours ago? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone, and why had he insisted on sitting next to her? He knew he was being childish, but..

“It’s actually nice to see you eating dinner with us. Besides, how is it anyway? I’m still a little rusty. Up to your standards?” Betty asked, tilting her head as she awaited his response.

Archie blinked, looking over at Betty for a second before back to his dish. He could not let himself start blushing again like a girly girl, or worse, get stuck staring at her again. Instead of Betty, his eyes found Jughead’s who seemed to be boring into him.

“What do you want?” Archie seethed, grasping the chopsticks again.

“Nothing..” Jughead replied smoothly.

“You were looking at me!” The cat spirit hissed.

“You’re sitting right in front of me.”

“Sure, like you’d give me that look for no reason!”

“Is my food really that bad?” Betty thought to herself, but didn’t even realized that she’d spoken it out until Archie erupted.

“It is!” He yelled, slamming both fists down onto the table.

Multiple moments of silence passed until Jughead’s annoyed sigh filled the room and Betty’s single word response. “Oh.”

Archie softened again and he blushed a little. “I mean-I..uh, not the food.. its..” Flustered, he turned away from the blonde. He just couldn’t talk around her.

She smiled instead. It seemed they’ve patched things up.

Jughead, though, seemed like he was on the edge of starting yet another fight with Archie. 

He had some emotion hidden in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite detect..

_..was that jealousy? _

_ Of course not. Why would Jughead Sohma be jealous? _


	3. Rich Man-Poor Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alrighty so..
> 
> i’m really enjoying writing this fanfic which means I’m updating again today! crazy huh? all my other fanfics I’m slow to update but this is just so fun to write.
> 
> anyway, again this is not beta’d!
> 
> also thank you so much for the sweet comments.. they’re really lighting up my day when i get the notifications. so thanks again!
> 
> ok, enough of me, you want to read right?
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Culture Festival was coming up next month, and things were suddenly getting very busy at school.

“It’s decided. For the festival, our class is going to operate a rice ball stand. With that settled, I’d like to hear everyone thoughts on what fillings we should use.” Jughead announced in front of the classroom of students, writing down the plan onto a chalkboard.

Betty raised her hand and then stood up to speak. “Oh, what if we did tricolor rice balls? So that in every rice ball, people get three different fillings to try.. a bargain!”

Jughead nodded approvingly. “That’s cute, I like it.” Jughead smiled, turning his eyes towards Betty’s. A look of achievement was present on her face.

There wasn’t a moment anyone could talk to Jughead or else the Prince Club would stick their noses into it. “Seriously? We totally need to ditch that idea, Jughead.”

“Yeah, what if she suggested tuna-kelp-pickled-plum combo?” One of the girls giggled as the others followed. “That would be disgusting!”

Cheryl kicked her foot against their desks aggressively, which stopped their giggles. “Nowhere near as disgusting as your personalities.. morons.”

Their arguing was ceased by Archie’s voice in the back of the classroom. “I say we should do rice ball battles.”

One of his buddies furrowed his eyebrows. “Battles?”

Archie slammed his fist against his palm. “Yeah, brutal head to head matches. First to pin their opponent wins. Weapons are allowed! Customers have to duke it out for their rice balls.. and the only rule is no killing!”

This seemed to be the one thing that the class could agree on, because in unison they said, “Hard pass..”

Archie stood up with his fists clenched. “I’m trying to contribute here! You jerks could at least think about it!”

Jughead merely rolled his eyes as he thought to himself for a couple seconds. “What if some of the rice balls are actually duds? We could make a deal where you get three and could get a fourth one for free.. only some of the choices are simply empty..”

The class chimed in unison again. “Sounds great!”

Archie slammed his fists down on the table. “You shoot me down but accept his dumb idea?” The redhead growled, settling back into his seat with a heated huff.

“Sorry Archikins, you’re idea was just too weird.” His friend poked playfully.

“Don’t pout about it Archikins.” Another one teased, rubbing his head like you would a dog.

“Don’t call me Archikins!”

“Aye, don’t be mad Archikins.”

One female voice erupted from the classroom. “Hey! Look! Cats!” 

All around Archie were small kittens, some nestled in his lap and others walking over his arms and head. It seemed like the cats had somehow appeared out of thin air.

_ “Where did those come from?” _

_ “How cute!” _

_ “Awww!” _

Archie kicked away his chair and stood up, knocking over his desk as he started to make his way to the exit of the classroom. “That’s it! I’m out of here!” Archie yelled, bursting through the door. Cats clung to him for dear life as he made his way out of the classroom hastily.

Toni narrowed her eyes, obviously sensing some type of wave. “Very strange..”

Cheryl only shrugged at the scene that had played out, looking over at Toni with a small smirk. “Yeah. Don’t worry, though, you’re still the strangest person at our school,” the redhead turned back to the exit. “That guy has a seriously hot temper. Doesn’t take much.. he’s the total opposite of our prince.”

Betty’s eyes were still glued to the exit, and before she knew it, her shoes were taking her upstairs onto the roof. She didn’t know why, but something was telling her that he’d most likely be there.

After going up a couple flights of stairs, she made it to the roof. Laying in the middle was Archie Sohma himself, kittens sprawled over him affectionately. Coming up beside him, she bent down. “I thought I’d find you here. You really like being up in high places, don’t you?” 

Archie jumped, startled by the sudden interaction. He watched her pick up a small gray feline and cuddle it close to her body. Clenching his teeth, he looked away from her. He was not about to feel jealous of a _cat._

“They’re adorable! I guess it’s not surprising cats like you so much.” She said in awe, nuzzling her cheek against the kitten’s head.

Archie crossed his arms over his chest, sitting up. “It’s not like I encourage them. They show up on their own. It happens to all of us with our animals. We can’t control it.”

The blonde didn’t see that as a bad trait. “Well, at least you’ll never be lonely.”

Archie glared at the girl next to him. “It isn’t a good thing!” He paused for a second, softening his gaze and instead looked down at the concrete underneath him. “So.. why are you here?”

She thought the reason was clear. “I was worried, so I came to check on you. Don’t you want to help out with the Culture Festival Project?” She asked, setting down one of the kittens and settling onto her knees next to him.

For a second there, Archie seemed to think about it, but quickly reverted. “You don’t need me. Everything will go fine as long as Jughead is there,” The martial artist wasn’t too thrilled with the idea. “He has always been so smart, and capable.. and good with people. Everybody automatically respects his talents. They trust him. I’m the one that started martial arts first you know, but now he is better at it then I am..”

_“I knew it! Rat children are always special, aren’t they?”_

_“Indeed. It’s a pity the same can’t be said of the cat.”_

“It pisses me off that I can’t magically make myself more like him.. but I would if I could.”

—

“Let’s play rich man-poor man!” Betty exclaimed, holding up a deck of cards. Betty had managed to usher Archie back into the classroom, where he had seemed to calm down a bit more.

Archie stiffened, letting out a sigh of annoyance. “No. Go and bother Jughead. I don’t want to play.”

The blonde deflated, looking at the cards and then back to Archie. “I would but he’s not around right now.”

Cheryl pursed her lips, looking at Archie with dissatisfaction. “Too bad, I was looking forward to playing you. You’re so stupid and incompetent, I thought you’d make for easy pickings. Way to ruin my fun, thanks a lot. Running away from a fight like you’re some scared little boy? Pathetic.”

Archie stood up again, slamming his palm against the poor desk. “Alright, you’re on, but I won’t dry your eyes when you lose, got it gangster girl?” the cat spirit hissed.

Cheryl only smirked. “Whoever comes in last has to do everyone else’s cleaning duties.”

—

“Revolution!” Archie laid four of the same numbered cards onto the pile they had created with a look of pure triumph.

The redheaded girl kicked the desk leg which made it shake. “What kind of underhanded trick was that you sneak?” 

Archie’s face grew conflicted. “The kind that’s allowed in the rules!”

Betty barely understood the game and honestly was just trying not to lose in the first five minutes. “Revolution turns the strong cards weak so I don’t know which to play next..”

Toni turned around with four cards, laying them down over Archie’s. “I do. Revolution reversal.” She stated with a sly smile, awaiting Archie’s hot temper to pop.

As Jughead made his way back into the classroom, he could hear their antics from across the hallway.

“Not cool!”

“She really got you carrot top..”

“Nice work Toni, not looking good for Archikins!”

“Shut it! We’re just getting started here.”

Jughead’s eyes found Betty. The blondie looked like she was having fun playing card games with Archie. Looking at the redheaded cat spirit, he could tell that he was already fitting in quite well. How? Why couldn’t he talk to people so easily like that?

—

Soon they had wrapped up the game, and the only people left in the room were the two Sohmas along with Betty. “Rich man-poor man? I know the rules but I’ve never played it.”

Betty adjusted her schoolbag over her shoulders. “Cheryl just taught me, so I don’t know too much about it either. You should play with us next time.” She chirped.

Jughead licked his lips, his eyes casting to Archie who was busy mopping the floor. “I see. It looks like the kitten ended up the poor man this time, didn’t he?”

She couldn’t help but feel bad, so she had already offered her services twice. “My offer still stands, Archie.”

The flaming redhead quickly shook his head. “No. A loss is a loss, but I’m gonna win next time though!” He turned around, pointing a finger at Jughead’s face. “.. and that includes beating you!”

The mouse dusted off his uniform. “Don’t you ever get tired of your empty threats?”

“No, because winning against you is my ultimate goal in life!”

“Hearing that over and over is my ultimate annoyance in life..”

“Your condescending high-and-mighty attitude really pisses me off!”

“Your inability to comprehend complex thoughts pisses me off.”

..and they’re fighting again. Sure, they’re the cat and the rat, but that couldn’t be why they were constantly at each other’s throats. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t realize it at the time, but was Archie saying that if he could beat Jughead in the fight, he could finally be included in the zodiac?

_“I’ll beat you and become a full-fledged member of the zodiac!”_

The cat could join the other animals and become 13! So, the fighting is no good..

“-get ready rodent!” Archie lunged at Jughead once again, but before she could stop it, the mouse landed a swift kick under Archie’s chin. He cascaded into the desks piled neatly in the corner of the room.

“Just looking at you makes me sick.” Jughead spat, and without another word, left the classroom.

“Sohma wait-”

Archie clutched his head. “Damnit. Why can’t I ever win?”He sighed in defeat.

Betty moved closer to him, looking to check for any injuries. “Are you alright? You didn’t bite your tongue or anything did you-”

“This isn’t my first fight. Get out of here already..” Archie jeered, and with one quick look at her face, he knew he made yet another mistake. “Uh-I.. I mean.. It’s just that.. I keep loosing to him and I hate it. Nevermind, okay? You should get home, you’ve got work today, right?”

She nodded even though he had already turned his back on her.

Archie rubbed the bottom of his chin. “He was a lot rougher today than usual. Guess he’s in a bad mood.”

—

“Bye! Have a nice night!” Betty called to the rest of the maids working late. She had been grateful to accept a cleaning job at a huge business building. It had been a lifesaver.

As she adjusted her bag, she couldn’t help but think about Jughead’s behavior today. He was so polite, so considerate of other people. He was kind at heart. What if he’s only that way because he bottles up his own feelings, until-

One of her feet missed one of the steps she was going down, and before she knew it she was falling down the stairs. Landing on the floor with scuffed knees, she crinkled her nose in pain. “Ouch, ouch.. guess I shouldn’t think so hard when I’m going down stairs..”

A boy’s laughter could be heard from in front of her. At better glance, she noticed what she presumed to be an elementary school child giggling at her fall.

“Oh, hello there.” Betty blushed, watching with wide eyes as the child came towards her.

It was so late in the day, she was surprised someone was here.

The blonde child looked down at her book bag that had zipped open, one of her journals falling out in the process. Her name was in neat, block letters on the very front. “Ah.. wait, Betty?”

The child looked confused and amazed, his blonde tresses falling in front of his face. “Betty? You’re Betty Cooper?” He took off the black sunglasses he’d been wearing to get a better look at her.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.. that’s me, but how did you-”

“Verrückt dich hier zu sehen! Ich hatte nicht einmal bemerkt, dass du hier arbeitest!” He smiled happily. “Ich wollte dich schon so lange treffen. Nachdem ich es vom Clan gehört hatte, wusste ich, dass ich dich treffen musste.”

Betty looked around wildly for a second, packing up her things quickly. What language was this boy speaking in? “I.. uh.. s-sorry I’ve got to go!” She squeaked, grabbing her bag and running through the building doors.

In her fast attempt at escape, though, she left a flyer. 

The child didn’t run after her, instead looking down at the flyer she had left. “Hmm?” 

Picking it up and bringing it closer to his eyes, he read it out loud. “29th Annual Kaibara High School Culture Festival. Huh? What’s this?” 

When Betty was finally able to burst outside, she leaned onto a nearby railing and panted. She could hear footsteps behind her and a male voice fill her ears. “Miss.Cooper, you seem flustered.”

Betty waved her arms rapidly, turning to the voice. “Oh! There was just a stranger and I-I-”

Jughead’s face hardened for a second. “Stranger?”

The blonde hadn’t even noticed Jughead had been in front of her the entire time. “Sohma?”

He stifled a chuckle, the gleam in his eye becoming sympathetic. “Did I scare you? I’m sorry.”

Taking a step closer to him, she shook her head. “No worries, I just.. wasn’t expecting to see you. Are you here to walk me home?”

Jughead nodded, taking her book bag from her and slinging it around his own shoulder. “Mhm. You shouldn’t be walking home this late on your own.”

The familiar feeling of gratefulness seeped back into her system. “Thank you for thinking of me. You and Archie are always so kind..”

The mouse spirit stiffened, teeth clenching inside his mouth. The last thing he wanted was for Betty to view Archie as _kind._ He was deranged, snapping at anything that moved. How could she be so friendly with that dumb cat, and why was Archie being so.. weird around her? Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. 

Jughead started walking the opposite way. “Well then, shall we?”

Betty followed after him, stopping right behind him. “Wait just a second,” She patiently waited until he came to a stop before continuing. “If there’s anything thats been bothering you, I’m happy to listen. It’s like how telling someone your bad dreams makes them not so scary. I thought.. if you felt comfortable sharing your burdens with me, then maybe they wouldn’t be so heavy anymore-”

One of the business men from the building shoved Betty into Jughead. “Looks like this guy is getting laid! Quit flirting and just get home already!”

The men walked away before they saw anything, but nevertheless.. Jughead was a mouse.

—

Soon they were walking home, Jughead still a mouse. They were on a quiet highway that nobody else walked on, so it seemed okay for Jughead to walk next to her. With her schoolbag in one hand and his clothes in the other, she was ready to listen.

“Back at home, it felt like I was in a cage with the main family and Hermione always watching. I longed to have a normal life, to be surrounded by normal people. That’s why I applied for a Co-Ed highschool and left home.. but I was diluting myself. I never managed to leave the cage. I’m still living in a Sohma house, and I still have no idea how to interact with normal people,” he paused for a second before continuing.

“I think I’m keeping my distance so that nobody gets too close.. but, Archie is different. People are drawn to him, and he may be anxious at first but once he gets used to them, he relaxes. He’s always been like that. Even if he can’t be one of the twelve, he knows how to get along with regular people. That’s better if you ask me. I wish I could be like that, more than anything. That’s why he gets on my nerves. When I see him trying to join the Sohmas I’m trying so desperately to escape, I can’t help but think.. what’s wrong with me?”

The more he spoke, she was finally starting to understand what the problem was. Archie was jealous of Jughead, and Jughead was jealous of Archie. That’s why they resent each other so much. She guessed it made sense, but as far as she’s concerned, they’re both pretty great in their own way. “I wish you and Archie-” 

A loud thunderbolt stopped her words, and before they knew it, rain was pouring heavily on the two. To make matters worse, Jughead turned right back into a human.. completely nude.

“Just wonderful..”

—

When they finally got home, they were soaked. Jughead put a towel over her shoulders and then did the same for himself, opening the sliding door to the living room. Sweetpea was in the living room, watching the nightly weather report. “We’re home.. is that the weather?” he asked, looking at the TV screen.

Sweetpea nodded. “It’s getting ugly out there. They’re saying its an unexpected typhoon.”

Betty nodded, frowning. “It is raining pretty hard out there.”

Jughead took action for himself, moving into the living room to grab a long blue tarp.

“Hey! You’re dripping all onto the floor.” his older cousin complained, but the mouse spirit payed no mind as he moved past Betty and went.. back into the pouring rain? Closing the door behind him, he started running off into the backyard.

Betty followed after him, dropping the damp towel and scurrying after him. “Sohma!” She called out to him, managing to catch up to him.

“Miss.Cooper? What are you doing out here? It’s dangerous.” He scolded, but lightly. She was about to respond when she started to slide on the gathering mud below. His quick reflexes were her salvation, because he quickly took ahold of her wrists to make sure she didn’t fall. “Woah there. You okay?”

Betty blinked, feeling his rather warm hand encircled around her wrist. She nodded, managing a smile through the rain. “I’m fine, sorry.. but really, what are you doing out here?” she questioned, flinching when another loud crack of thunder barreled down on them.

He squeezed her wrist a little tighter and started to lead her deeper into the yard, which was really a forest. “Over here,” he took over to where a small patch of land had been planted with different vegetables. “See?”

The blonde’s eyes became big. “Wow, it’s a farm!’” she seemed in awe.

Jughead’s smile returned. “I’d say more of a vegetable garden, really. I planted it myself. This is the secret base I mentioned.” The more they stood there, the more he could feel the rain pound onto his skin. 

The schoolgirl didn’t really seem to mind the rain. “That’s so heroic! Risking life and limb to protect your base from the typhoon,” she started to take one edge of the tarp and walked backwards. “Please allow me to to join you in your noble fight!”

She put down the tarp promptly, holding one side down with both hands. She hadn’t noticed Jughead was staring at her until she lifted her gaze. 

“You’re a truly kind person, you know that?”

She hadn’t expected that. Shaking her head, she felt her cheeks warm considerably. “You’re kidding, right? Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before.”

He started to nail down the tarp, turning his attention to hammering it down. It pained him that she didn’t realize how kind she truly was.

Making sure to keep her bearings on the tarp, she began to speak again. “You know, my mom always told me it was better to believe instead of doubt. She said human beings aren’t born with kindness, that’s something that only comes to us later. What we have at first are desires, for things like food and shelter.”

Jughead was back to staring at Betty, memorized by her words.

“You know, like survival instincts. She said kindness is our hearts growing inside us, growing like people at different rates and ways.. and that’s why, someones kindness might look different from the others. This might sound strange, but your kindness reminds me of a candle. It lights up, and whenever it does, I can’t help but smile at the warmth it gives off. That was.. probably a pretty strange analogy, I bet.”

He shook his head. “No.. not at all,” He was starting to feel the butterflies arise, beating against his ribcage and begging to be let out. The bubbles appeared again too, and the aurora of comfort and love surrounded both him and Betty. “Actually, I’m ashamed. I shouldn’t have unloaded all that on you.”

Almost startled by his response, she quickly responded. “What? I’m glad you did! The more you tell me about your life and feelings, the better friends we can become. It.. warms my heart to know that you let me in.”

_“Betty, I want you to believe in people. Doubting is easy, anybody can do that. You be the kind of girl that can have faith in others. One day, I know.. that’ll help someone.”_

As she looked back on her mother’s words, she realized she was right. 

She had faith in Jughead.

—

“We defended it until the end!” The blonde squealed, raising her hands up towards the sky. It was very early morning now, the birds could be heard chirping above their heads.

The rat grimaced. “At the low cost of getting half drowned..” He started to pick up the blue tarp and folded it into a nice, neat square.

Betty looked down at the unharmed plants. “Are there any vegetables ready to harvest?”

Jughead bent down onto the plant-bed. “Well, the chives might be.” His fingers weaved through the leaves, ready to pull out of the ground. 

“Miss Cooper?”

Betty watched from behind, observant as she tilted her head. “Hmm?”

He started to pull the chives from the soil, gathering them into his arms. “I’ll play rich man-poor man with you next time.” he concluded.

Cooper beamed from behind even though he couldn’t see her. “That’s wonderful, although you don’t need to if you’re not interested.”

Jughead started to finish up harvesting the chives, getting back up onto his feet. “It’s not that. It’s just.. everyone was so outgoing. I didn’t feel comfortable, but I’ll work on that. It might take me a while, but I want to learn how to interact with people.”

Betty took a step closer, her smile everlasting. “It’ll be great. Cheryl is great, Toni too. I’m super proud to call them my friends. Plus, I’ll bet you’ll be good at it.. and I know they’ll love the chance to beat a strong opponent.”

Just then, when he turned back around towards her, the sun began rising behind him. The light leaked around him like big halo. “I’ll win,” he leaned in close, so their noses almost brushed each other’s. “Just you wait.” His features moved into a bright smile as he moved past her, towards the house. 

“We’ll have to take hot baths when we come back home or we’ll catch a cold!” he commented, already on his way back with the chives in his arms still.

That was the first time she’d ever seen him _truly_ smile.. and it was beautiful.

—

Archie opened the sliding door to reveal Betty making multiple rice balls, even more rice cooking for later use. “What the hell is going on here?” he grumbled, wiping a towel over his neck. “Planning to start a rice ball business?”

Betty jumped at the sound of his loud voice but settled back down, continuing to shape a rice ball. “Oh, good morning Archie. I’m trying out rice balls for when the Cultural Festival rolls around. You’re up early, by the way.”

The redhead moved around the kitchen until he was beside her, looking down at the rice balls she had already created. “It’s not early. It’s normal,” he corrected with a scowl. “So were you out at the garden with Jughead all night long?”

Accidentally burning herself from how hot the rice was, she muttered an ‘ow’ before setting the ball down. “Yeah. We had to protect the vegetables from the typhoon. Why?”

He crossed his arms, looking back down at the floor. “No reason.” For a second, Archie wondered to himself. Jughead had always been closed off to most people, but ever since Betty wandered into their lives.. he changed. It felt like the stupid rat was always taking her some place where he wasn’t.

Taking one of the bigger rice balls and shoving half of it into his mouth, he started to munch on it.

“I’m particularly proud of that one, you’ll have to tell me what you think.”

In a quick second Archie ran over to the sink, spitting out the contents and then gulping down cup after cup of water. “What are these?” Archie demanded, still hunched over the sink.

Betty put both her hands behind her back. “Rice balls with chives.. so you don’t like them then?” Embarrassment was written all over her face.

Archie moved from the sink and back towards the table. “No! I fucking hate chives! What’s wrong with just sticking to something normal like salmon or octopus filling? I’ll just make my own..” He took a scoop of rice from the cooker and started to mold it with his hands.

He managed to surprise the blonde. She hadn’t expected him to be so good at molding the rice balls. “Wow, thats pretty amazing.”

“Huh?”

Betty moved closer to get a better look. “The way you shape that rice? You’re great, really.”

The redhead rolled his eyes and looked away towards the side. “It’s not a big deal. I had to make my own food while I was training, but just because I can make it doesn’t mean it’ll be good.”

“That’s still pretty good though. I think if someone were training to be a rice ball maker, they’d be very jealous of your abilities.” She complimented, hands fidgeting with her apron.

He looked at her for a moment, a blush threatening to bloom, but he didn’t let it happen as he walked away towards the living room. “Rice ball training isn’t something people do.. where do you even get these ideas?” He huffed, sitting down next to the table and turning on the TV.

Why couldn’t he ever accept he was good at something? Why couldn’t he see it?

“Maybe you can’t see it because it’s on your back.” Betty thought to herself, unknowingly saying it out loud yet again.

Archie turned around, confused. “Huh?”

Betty thought about it for a moment before continuing. “Just think about it. If a person is a rice ball, and what’s great about the person is a pickled plum, the problem is.. the plum is on their back where they can’t see. Maybe everyone in the world is walking around with plums on their backs, all different kinds. No two of them are exactly alike.. but since they can’t see their backs, they can’t see the different plums that make them unique.”

"They think that they don’t have anything special, that they’re just plain white rice. That isn’t true at all, and they really do have a plum of their own. Maybe that’s why we get jealous, because when it comes to plums, other people’s are a lot easier to see. The truth is, I can see your plum. Right on your back. Sure, Jughead might be great, but the thing is.. so are you.”

.. and there he was. Trapped in that trance again, completely lost in her eyes. He felt that crimson sneaking up on him again. No, he couldn’t embarrass himself like that again. He couldn’t start thinking those thoughts.

Turning away from her, he put his head down to look at his crossed legs. “Okay, seriously, where the hell do you get these ideas from? Why did you have to pick plums of all things for your stupid analogy?”

Betty probably should have used salmon, he was right.

The kettle whistled irritably, bringing her back to the kitchen where she took it off the stove quickly.

“Hey!” 

Betty turned around, seeing Archie grasping the rice ball tightly. “You’ve got one too. You know, a plum. I can see it.” The poor rice ball had exploded in his hand from how hard he was grasping it.

Betty smiled, walking over to him. “Do I really?”

Archie made sure he was turned away, dropping the white rice from his hand. “Just a little one, though. Really, really, _really_ little one.”  


“Little ones are delicious!”

Jughead peeked out from around the corner, entering the living room. “You’re up already?”

Tucking one piece of hair behind her ears, she adjusted her ponytail. “Oh, actually, I never went to bed.” She laughed, walking up to meet him.

He looked concerned. “Are you serious? You didn’t get any sleep last night?”

Shaking her head, she moved back to where the rice was still cooking and turned it off. “Nope! With all the exciting things to think about, my brain wouldn’t turn off.”

Watching her, all the rice balls caught his attention. “What’s all this?”

Shrugging, Betty handed him one of her most neatest. “Rice balls with chives. Archie, as we learned, hates chives.”

“Because they’re inedible!”

Jughead smirked for a second before it disappeared. He took the offering with a nod of thanks, and then walked over to Archie. He took the redhead by the nose, much to the surprise of the cat, and forced the rice ball into his mouth. “Eat it.”

Oh goodness. They were fighting _again._ Would they ever stop? All she wanted was for them to stop bickering and teasing each other so much. Would that ever happen in the future?

The sound of the doorbell disturbed her from her thoughts, and she went to go and get it. Opening the door, she looked around to see nobody there. “Hello? I’m here, good morning.” she greeted.

A girl came from behind a tree, looking from behind it. She had short, silky dark brown hair and big brown eyes. She’d never seen the girl before, but she was very pretty, that was for sure. “I’m sorry to bother you, but it is true? That Archie.. is here?”


	4. Dinner For Darling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowowowowo.
> 
> again had a lot of fun writing this so I’m back at u with another chapter. I’m still super grateful to the people who comment and give kudos.
> 
> anyway i don’t have much to say besides the fact that school starts soon which also means ill start to be slow on updating.  
> also this is gonna be a huge huge slowburn so if u don’t like those pics then this isn’t the place for you:( also expect serious character development (especially arch.)
> 
> alright. thats it. bye loves!

The girl still hung behind the tree, only her head peeking out. “I know I’m not expected, but is it true? Is Archie here?” She seemed innocent, maybe sweet. Betty couldn’t tell yet. Her voice was soft and nurturing, like honey on bread. “That’s right. You don’t know me. I’m Veronica Sohma.”

Betty offered her a small smile. “Oh, Archie is just inside.. facing a strong opponent. Chives!”

She came from behind the tree, putting both her hands over her mouth. “It’s true! He came back to me..” tears started to gather at her eyes, and before she knew it, Veronica was speeding past her and running into Sweetpea’s house.

Turning around and watching her skip in, she followed after her. Attached to her was a small teddy-bear backpack. She was so cute, and-

Wait. She was a Sohma, which probably meant she was part of the zodiac.

Jughead was still stuffing Archie’s face with the rice ball laced with chives when Veronica bounded into the room, clutching her face. The blonde followed close behind with wide eyes.

Sweetpea looked up from his morning paper with an arched eyebrow. “Oh, hello there.”

Jughead pulled away, releasing the ball from Archie’s mouth and turned to the girl. The redhead seemed starstruck. “V-Veronica?”

The raven-haired girl swallowed. “I-It’s you. You disappeared, for four whole months. You didn’t even say bye. Nothing. I was scared, worried..” Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes as she stared at him.

“You don’t know how much I missed you!” She yelled suddenly, her eyes glowing red as she packed a large punch to Archie’s cheek.

Huh? What just happened there?

Sweetpea hid his face into the newspaper as if he knew what was going to happen.

The raven-haired girl sent another punch into his lower jaw. The force took him from his seated position to completely out the window, breaking it as he made his way out. “I thought about you constantly! You jerk!” Before he could actually land though, she grabbed his ankle and started spinning him above her head rapidly. “Do you have any idea how much you put me through? Running away like that, huh?” She yelled again.

Jughead sighed, looking at the scene in front of him. “Looks like we’re going to need new windows..”

“Why does everyone go out of their way to trash my poor house?” Sweetpea complained, clutching his forehead as he tried to focus on reading the paper. He didn’t have much luck.

Veronica was spinning Archie so hard that she was lifting off the ground like a mini helicopter, screaming inaudible things at the poor boy.

The blonde schoolgirl watched in shock, looking between the two cousins. “A-Are they okay?” She stammered, eyes following Veronica’s feet as she dropped the redhead and then proceeded to kick his abdomen.

“Yeah, they’re okay. This is Veronica’s way of showing she cares for him. You know, when little kids are always mean to the people they like? It’s the same thing.” He explained, almost as if it was a normal occurrence. Was it a normal occurrence?

Sounds of Archie’s grunts could be heard. “Sure.. if you say so, but doesn’t it seem like her personality did a 180 to you?”

Jughead seemed to be rather enjoying the punishment Archie was being given. “She just gets that way because she’s emotional. Especially whenever Archie is involved. She may not act like it, but she’s two years older than us.”

Sweetpea was watching with a smirk of his own. “That’s true, and she’s part of the zodiac.”

That got the blonde intrigued. “Really? I knew it! What year is she? You’ve got to tell me.” Betty asked, pressing her hands together in her excitement.

Sweetpea shrugged, looking back up at her. “Hm. Why don’t you watch her a while and you’ll find out.” He challenged, folding up the newspaper and putting it back onto a nearby shelf.

Veronica was still going at it with Archie when Betty looked back and she was honestly starting to get worried. “I’m concerned that she might kill him..”

“That wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” Jughead chipped in, crossing his arms over his chest. The mouse sprit really hated the cat.

About to punch him for the hundredth time, she slowed her movements and her eyes became the pure brown they were before. She had been clutching his shirt to cease his escapes, but she quickly let go. He toppled to the ground, battered and abused by the girl in front of him. He groaned from the impact.

“Oh! Archie, what happened?” She cried, tears welling up in her eyes again as she got down onto her knees. She compiled his upper body into her arms and hugged him tightly. “You poor thing.. you’re all beaten up. Who did this to you, my love?” she sobbed.

“Queue the waterworks..” Sweetpea grumbled knowingly.

—

Somehow they were all sitting next to the table again, except for Archie, who was sitting just outside with the icepack held to his head.

Veronica was the first one to speak. “I’m sorry, I guess I was just so excited to see Archie again that I couldn’t hold myself back.” She apologized softly, looking down at her hands.

She was like a totally different person now.

She turned back towards Archie, who was facing away from her. “..but Archie, it is partially your fault. You disappeared for four months and didn’t even bother to call me once.” 

Archie didn’t take the time to look at her, instead wincing as he held the icepack tighter to his face. “Why should I have to telling you where I am?” He snapped, huddling himself into a nearby corner.

The raven-haired girl must’ve thought it was obvious. “Don’t be silly, of course you should keep your future wife in the-“

“Future what now?” Archie howled, looking back over at a now _very_ red Veronica.

Betty was instantly surprised, putting her hands together in almost a praying motion. “I didn’t know you had a fiancé!” 

“You must be relieved someone would consider such a cruel thing..” Jughead spit humorlessly.

“Congrats!” Sweetpea added on sarcastically.

Turning back to the outside, his muscles became tense. “You guys aren’t helping..”

Veronica looked ready to explain, smiling as she did so. “You see, when we were little, Archie told me we’d get married one day.”

“Only because you threatened me with kitchen knives!”

Standing up, she moved closer to Archie with a pout. “What’s wrong? You should want to marry another animal spirit, it’s your best chance at happiness. We could suffer our curses together, and of course, we don’t transform when we hug each other!” The animal spirit squealed, reaching over to Archie and then enveloping him in a tight hug.

That was yet another surprise for Betty. “Woah.”

She let go of Archie and instead wrapped her arms around Jughead. The mouse spirit didn’t bat an eyelash at the movement, instead letting her do as she pleased. 

Betty nodded in fascination. “That’s really interesting. I wonder why that happens..”

Putting a hand on Veronica’s face and pushing her away, he turned back to the blonde. “Wish I knew. There’s two others though, female zodiac members I mean. We found that they don’t trigger our transformations either.”

“Really? Two more? Where are they now? I want to meet them too!” Betty squeaked, putting her hands together with a smile. 

Sweetpea matched her enthusiasm. “Would you like to know their animals?”

She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “No thank you, on second thought it would be a lot more exciting to see them and figure it out for myself!” 

Jughead’s eyes could’ve been hearts staring at Betty. His lips curled into a grin. “That’s very like you.”

Obviously jealous of the attention Betty was getting, Veronica interrupted. “Anyway, you know things don’t go so well for our kind when we marry normal people of the opposite sex! Right Sweetpea?”

The older man took a long sip of his tea. “Well, you’ve got a point. There can be a lot of problems tied to that. It could be hard for us to get regular jobs, and of course you’d still transform every time your spouse embraced you. Sex would-”

Jughead smacked him in the face with a bowl. “Too much.”

“Archie!” Veronica yelled, pushing Archie down to the ground and bending over him. “You can’t play coy with me anymore! Tell me, do you like me or not?” She demanded.

“Huh?” 

Veronica’s face grew more and more red by the second. “..because I like you so much, more then anyone in the whole world—no, make that the universe!”

“Uh..”

“..and I'd forgive interferences of momentary lapses of judgment!”

“What?” Archie had clenched his teeth, slowly backing away from her with big eyes.

“It’s obvious you’re never going to find another woman that loves you as much as I do, understand?” After another moment of silence passed, her eyes glowed red again and she took ahold of his shirt. “Speak up! Why aren’t you agreeing with me?” The raven-haired girl barked.

Sweetpea simply watched from the sidelines with amusement. “He loses all boldness when it comes to girls. Oh, right, Betty, you’re quite a fan of the cat. Why do you think of all this?” 

Veronica dropped Archie and bolted over to Betty. “What’s that? A rival? I don’t care what you feel, you can’t have him! Nothing will stand in the way of our future!”

“Uhm..” Betty whispered in-between her outburst.

She didn’t bother relenting. “What is it that you like about him, Betty? Because I like all of him. Every single bit! I cherish the good things about him along with his flaws.”

“Aye..” Archie repeated again with a little firmness to his voice.

The love-sick girl payed no mind. “Even if he were to change into his true form, I wouldn’t think of him any diff-“

In just a moments time, Archie had slapped a hand over Veronica’s mouth. The room went silent, a coldness present. Archie was practically twitching as he held his hand tightly over her mouth. “Not another word..”

His true form?

“If you keep babbling on like that, you’re going to regret it.” Archie rasped, looking down at the girl below him. 

Veronica only words were really just small sounds under the cat spirit’s hand. “How dare you threaten me!” She suddenly screeched, taking the hand over her mouth and twisting it practically to another dimension.

—

Betty ended up washing the dishes, which she didn’t mind. As she was fulfilling the task, her mind was swimming with different thoughts. She wondered about what all that true-form stuff was about. Well, whatever the case, Veronica seems to be overflowing with love for Archie. It was amazing she felt so strongly. Honestly, even though she didn’t want to admit it, she felt the jealousy bug creeping up on her.. but why?

The thing that brought her from her thoughts was Archie darting from the shower in only a towel, running away from Veronica. “Archie! Don’t be shy with me! All I wanted was to scrub down your back! ”

—

“Damnit, why is this my job?” Archie groaned. Veronica, Archie, and Betty had begun fixing up the doors broken in Veronica’s attack and the redhead wasn’t liking it.

Sweetpea shrugged. “No complaining, you are partially at fault here.”

  
Archie jumped up, pointing a finger at Sweetpea. “Shut up! Are you kidding me right now?” He then pointed the accusing finger at Jughead, who was peacefully reading a book next to them. “You should be pitching in too rat-boy!”

Jughead closed the book, looking off into the distance. “No thanks, cats should be able to clean up their own messes. Even stupid ones.”

Lifting up a fist, Archie opened his mouth wide. “What did you just say? Stand up, we’re fighting this out!”

“Hey Archie!” Veronica chirped to grab his attention.

Archie stopped yelling at Jughead momentarily to look back at Veronica. “Erm, what?”

She pointed to a small cat face she had carved into the door. “Look what I made, isn’t it cute?”

That only seemed to infuriate the cat more. “Stop playing around! You’re the reason we’re even doing this in the..” A loud stomach growl interrupted him and he immediately became embarrassed.

She was barely helping with the doors anyway, so the blonde decided to make herself useful. “I know it’s a bit early, but I’ll go start on dinner.” Betty set down one piece of the door and then started to walk to the kitchen.

Obviously wanting to impress Archie, Veronica lifted a hand. “Stay out of that kitchen! I’ll cook tonight!”

It managed to do the opposite effect. “What? Why would you want that hassle..” 

“To cook dinner for you, my beloved Archie of course!” She skipped towards the kitchen, pushing past Betty and entering the area. She set down her teddy-bear backpack right outside the kitchen as she did so. “Archie, dear, I hope you’ll enjoy it!”

Mockingly, Sweetpea smirked. “Archie _dear_ , you should have time to fix that door..”

—

“Wow! This is incredible!” Betty said in utter awe. She could count at least 12 dishes on the table. It was almost a ridiculous amount of food. “I can’t believe you just whipped up such a nice meal.”

Veronica was standing in triumph over her masterpieces. “Aw, stop it.”

Jughead looked more confused as he stood over the table overflowing with dishes. “Looks great.. but how many people are you feeding?”

Sweetpea took one look at the table and then looked back to their now completely empty fridge. “So much for all our groceries..” 

Her excuse was feeble. “I was so excited about feeling my true love that I got a little carried away..”

That reminded her, she hadn’t really seen Archie in the past hour. “Oh, speaking of Archie, where is he?”

Jughead knew that he mainly spent time in his room lifting weights during this time of day. “Probably upstairs.”

Before anyone else could volunteer, Veronica ran up the stairs. “I’ll go get him! Dinner for my darling, dinner for my darling..”

Before long a loud burst could be heard which was presumably Veronica opening the door to his bedroom. “Darling! Your dinner is ready!” It was _very_ clear now she was trying to impress him.

The redhead shut her down very quickly. “Not hungry.”

“Why not? Some of your favorite foods are on the table.” She whined, trying to meet his eyes and knocking the weight out of his hand.

“Lay off! I already told you I’m good!” Archie growled with annoyance, moving to pick up the weight again.

“..but.. this was for you. I did my best..” her eyes began to water, but she quickly wiped them away as her eyes became a bright red once again. “Why won’t you ever let me do anything for you?” She burst, taking his jacket collar and slamming him against the thin floors.

He broke through, falling down into the living room on the first floor. He landed on the table, the force of the fall breaking it in half and splattering the food everywhere. Pieces of wood and carpet were now scattered around, and dust filled the room.

Sweetpea, Betty, and Jughead were frozen in shock for a second before Betty got up to see Archie on the floor. “Oh my gosh! Should we get some help?” The blonde panicked.

Jughead seemed more concerned about the food being gone. “Oh, great, the feast is ruined.”

Sweetpea put a hand on his face, shaking his head. “Why does everyone destroy my house..” He weeped, completely ignoring a groaning Archie.

Veronica looked down from the hole and rushed down the stairs. She opened the fridge, trying to find at least something to put on the table for her beloved. The refrigerator was completely empty.

Archie sat up, rubbing his temples. “Just go home already..”

That must of hit Veronica in the heart, because she soon was running towards the entrance of the house. “Wait, Veronica..” Betty sighed, moving to go after her.

Sweetpea stood up, putting a hand on Betty’s shoulder. “Stay here. I’ve got this.” He assured her, following after Veronica. The blonde could only watch him leave.

Sweetpea found her at the front of the house, putting on her shoes. “Where are you going?” the dog spirit inquired, leaning up against a nearby wall.

“The store.” That was her short response.

He raised an eyebrow. “At this hour? The roads are dangerous at night.” It was true, the sun had set and the only light was from the night sky and nearby street lights.

She finished zipping on her last shoe, ignoring  his advice. “Hey Sweetpea? Do you think I could live here with you? I don’t like him living with another girl. I’m worried.”

Sweetpea let out a long sigh. “You know you can’t, so why ask?”

Veronica stood up, fists clenched. She didn’t turn around to meet his eyes. “Apparently you don’t understand love.. or how anxious it can make someone.” With that said, she opened the house door and walked away.

Though she was no longer there, he responded. “That’s not true. Even I get jealous sometimes..”

Betty was picking up the broken plates from around the room when Jughead came around the corner. “Shall I order delivery?”

“I’ll take fried dumplings.”

Jughead started to walk away when Betty gently took ahold of his sleeve. “Can we wait just a little longer?”

—

The cashier scanned the last item and packed it into a big white bag. “That’ll be 370 yen.”

Veronica started to reach for her backpack but remembered she had left it at Sweetpea’s house.. which meant she left all her money there. 

_No._

“I’ll take care of it, sir.” Betty had a wad of cash in her hand from a small pink wallet. She handed it to the cashier with a smile before giving Veronica a wink.

When they were walking back, Veronica hadn’t said anything to Betty. She simply held the heavy bag to herself and continued walking down the sidewalk.

“Hey, why don’t you let me carry some of that for you.” the blonde offered.

“I’ve got it.”

Becoming silent again, Betty felt a little deflated by her refusal. 

“Hey Betty?”

“Yes?”

“Do you like Archie?”

The question caught her off guard, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. “Uh, that’s a tough one.. you know if it’s a yes or no question _then of course_ I like him but I sort-of always have. Even when I was little, I loved the cat in the zodiac story. You could call me.. a year of the cat fan.”

Veronica turned around towards her unexpectedly, stopping. “Oh, so you’re a fan?”

Betty stopped too. “That’s right. When I heard the zodiac story all I wanted was to be a year of the cat.”

Veronica nodded slowly. “I think I understand now.”

“..but that’s nothing compared to you two. You guys have known each other your whole lives haven’t you?”

Veronica looked back at Betty’s eyes with bright blue ones. “That’s true. I first met Archie when we were kids. He was drawing a fried egg in the dirt.”

…

_“Hiya! If you want someone to play with you, I will.” Veronica’s eyes twinkled, moving to stand in front of him._

_Putting down the stick Archie had been drawing with, he looked back up at the girl in front of him. “You mean it?”_

_She took both of his hands in hers, bringing him up from the ground. “Of course! From now on I’ll stay by your side. You and I will be together forever.”_

…

Betty watched her reconcile the memory. “That look. I can tell you’ve always liked him.”

The raven-haired girl turned away, obviously flustered by her comment. After a second, she spoke. “Hey Betty? I want to thank you.. for coming to find me.”

Overjoyed by the change in events, she skipped up to her and took one side of the bag from her hands. “Come on, we should get home. I’m sure everyone has to be starving by now.”

Veronica’s view changed on Betty then. She was stupid to think of her as a rival. The blonde was kind—and she felt like she had to repay that forward. “Yeah!”

“So, what are you gonna make?”

“I was thinking hamburger steaks.”

“I’d love to help if you want.”  
  


“Yes, please do!”

—

Sweetpea’s stomach growled obnoxiously. “It’s possible I might starve to death.”

Jughead banged his head against the wall lightly. “Same.”

The sound of doors unlocking could be heard as cheerful voices filled the quiet house. 

“Hi everyone!”

“We’re home!”

The dog spirit looked beyond relieved. “..and we’re saved.”

The girls were a giggling mess as they unloaded the different groceries Betty had bought. Jughead and Sweetpea gave each other a confused look, hearing them being rather friendly to each other. That was different.

—

Betty and Jughead were setting the table for preparation when she realized she had no idea where Archie was. She hadn’t seen him when she’d gotten home. “Where’s Archie?”

Jughead was quick to supply an answer but he didn’t look to happy about it either. “He went upstairs a while ago but hasn’t come down yet.” This was the second time she’d asked where he was. Why would anyone be concerned over some some cat with anger issues?

Betty nodded, setting down the last of her bowls before going upstairs. She found Archie’s room and then lightly knocked on the door. “Archie? You in there?” No response, but she could hear rustling from above. Oh, she knew where he was.

Going back downstairs and out the door, she found a ladder had been attached to the house. Deciding to go up, she climbed up the rails until she found Archie right where she thought he’d be. On the roof. “Huh, there you are. I knew I’d find you up here. The food will be done in a minute.”

Alarmed, Archie popped up. Seeing that there was no threat, he eased and moved to lay back down. “I’m gonna pass.”

She had never been one to lay on roofs of houses, but she was trying to make do. Crawling to his side, she sighed. “Veronica worked real hard to put it together, though. She said she just wants to make you happy.”

“Yeah? Well, she’s always saying crazy things.. like all that marriage stuff. There must be something wrong with her brain, it’s so annoying.”

Soon she was right next to him. “..but isn’t it a blessing to have somebody care about you? Someone who worries about your happiness and wants to always be by your side? You know, I’d like to think someone cares for me that way, even if that person and I are separated by a huge distance. I find it very reassuring. It’s amazing, really. How someone can love another person with their _entire_ heart. ‘Cause after all, doesn’t everyone dream that there’s someone out there.. destined to be with them?”  


Archie had since sat up, taking in her words. Without even thinking about it, he scooted a little closer to her. “Uhh.. I don’t know about _that._ ”

Bringing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them. “I know what you dream of. You want to defeat Sohma don’t you? That’s why you went into the mountains to train.”

Archie scratched his scalp. “Eh. Sweetpea has been blabbing.”

“That training must have been hard, especially because you were by yourself out there.”

The redhead shook his head. “I wasn’t alone. I had my master there with me.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Is he a very strong man?”

He suddenly grew very excited about the subject, his cheeks tinting and his voice growing an octave louder. “Obviously, he has to be. He’s an amazing fighter. Even Jughead couldn’t beat the guy,” he stood up as he spoke. “He’s been teaching me since I was just a little kid.” 

He raised his fist up into the air with pride, standing up. “..which is why I’ve gotten so strong. Even though he’s a member of the Sohma clan, he actually understands me. You wouldn’t believe how tough he is,” His eyes gleamed, eager to speak more about the subject. “I couldn’t hardly wait for our lessons each morning. Don’t get me wrong, the training was harsh, but it was also incredibly fulfilling. I felt myself getting stronger. Just thinking about it gets me so pumped up!”

She’s never seen him so excited. He had so much passion.

“Man, I could really go for a few sparring rounds right now!” 

It’s not that he just wanted to beat Sohma, he truly loved martial arts.

Suddenly he became rather bashful, sitting back down onto the roof and not meeting her eyes. “Oh, that’s probably boring to a girl like you, I bet.”

Eyes widening, she shook her head quickly. “What? No! Wait! Okay, sure, I don’t know much about marital arts, but I’m not bored at all, I promise! This is very interesting.” She wasn’t lying. Seeing the redhead get so excited about a subject he loved made her heart warm in so many ways.

“Yeah? Well, I’d be bored in your shoes. It’s not like you care about this stuff..”

Still exasperated, she continued. “Sure, I might have trouble falling asleep when people are talking about things like physics but I’m not completely uninterested in marital arts.. I even know a few moves! Like, let me think..”

Archie was looking at her now, red orbs staring back at her with interest.

“There’s the uh.. um.. what’s it called? Right-handed jab!” She landed a feeble punch to his shoulder that barely rustled his sleeve.

The crickets chirped.

After a second, Archie let out a quiet laugh. Their eyes met when he looked down at her. “Horrible.” His features lifted into a gentle smile. It was a small smile, one that someone wouldn’t notice on the first look, but it was there. She’d never seen him be so soft-spoken before. Her heart immediately swelled.

She felt like she got another glimpse at the true Archie. Underneath that grumpy look he always had on his face, he’s hiding a cute little smile.

—

The two of them made their way downstairs, looping around the corner and sitting down at the table. “Thanks for waiting.” 

Sweetpea put his lips into a thin line. “You took so long I thought I was going to pass out.”

Veronica set down Archie’s plate in front of him. “Here. This ones.. for you.” The redhead looked down at it, seeing a fried egg on top of his hamburger.

Betty wanted to ogle but knew that would be too much.

“What’s this? Why did Archie get a friend egg on top of his?” the dog spirit complained.

Betty looked up, noticing that Veronica was still standing. “What are you waiting for? Have a seat and join us.” Betty said warmly, beckoning to the seat next to her.

“It’s getting late Veronica. It would probably be best if you stayed the night.”

“Really? Let’s share a bed Archie!”

“Not on your life!”

“Aw, don’t need to be shy..”

—

“Today we must part. Please be well my love. I’ll come back to see you soon!” She squeezed Archie rather hard, pressing her body up against his tightly.

The redhead wasn’t having any of it, instead he was trying to make some half-hearted attempts to get away from her grasps. “I’ll be fine as long as you stay as far away from me as possible!”

Betty watched from behind, laughing at their banter. “Well, they’re in high spirits this morning.”

Sweetpea came up behind her with an eyebrow raised. “So, what’s your guess? Did you figure out Veronica’s year?”

She had completely forgotten about that. “No, I didn’t!”

Their argument had gotten heated since she last looked away. “Fine! Just for that you aren’t getting a kiss goodbye!” Veronica was about to slap him when he put a hand up to block her.

“I’m not going to take anymore of your-”

That infuriated her more, and soon he crashed into the TV, breaking it in two.

“My TV!” Sweetpea wailed.

Veronica started to bound away towards the exit of the house. “I can’t believe him! How could he be so mean..” She rushed out the door, but instead was met with a warm male body on the opposite side.

Eyes widening, she exploded into a cloud of hot pink smoke.

Jughead was to the rescue, as always. He pulled the man to the other side of the house by the arm. “Oh, good morning. How can I help you sir?”

Surprised, he stammered. “Oh, I.. forgot to deliver your paper.” Jughead quickly took the paper from his hands and started leading him away from the residence.

“Perfect save!” Sweetpea tweeted gleefully.

“Sohma is even more dazzling than usual this morning..”

Archie let out a loud, over-dramatic cough at that comment to seize any more comments of that kind and instead moved his attention to Veronica. “That.. was a close one. Be more careful, Veronica!”

Soon the cloud started to disappear. “Sorry.. I didn’t know there would be a man on the other side of the door.” No longer was Veronica a human, but instead she was a small boar.

“Okay! I figured out her year. It turns out her zodiac is the year of the boar.” She picked up Veronica into her arms, looking back at Sweetpea triumphantly.

“I don’t think this counts as figuring it out, and yet you seem so pleased with yourself..”

Jughead came up behind them, shaking his head at them disapprovingly.

Betty was starting to piece it all together. “This all makes sense. When you have a goal, that’s all you can think about. This must be the boar’s influence on you.”

The dog spirit rubbed his chin. “That’s less of a deduction and more of a fact.”

Betty wrapped her arms tighter around the small boar and hugged her tightly. “I’ve got to hug you. You’re the cutest little boar I’ve ever seen.”

“She’s ignoring me..”

She let go of Veronica and instead held her up in front of herself. “Hey Veronica? I think I see now. At first I didn’t understand what could make you love Archie so much, but after last night, I can tell there are a bunch of great things about him.”

Veronica oinked loudly, wiggling out of her hands and jumping onto Archie’s head. “How dare you cheat on me! I knew it! I can’t take my eyes off you for a single second!”

“What are you talking about?” Archie grunted as she used her back legs to kick his neck in.

Sweetpea folded his arms over his chest. “I thought you said you’d forgive his affairs..”

Veronica started to gnaw on him, wrapping her body around his head. “I never said he wouldn’t be punished first!”

Quick to make amends, Betty turned around to the pair. “Uh.. I think there’s a misunderstanding. I meant that I wanted to become someone more like you Veronica, who’s able to see the good in people when it’s not completely obvious. Does that make sense?”

The boar stopped nibbling and looked up. Her eyes brightened. “You mean it? Like for real?”

“Yeah! I think it’s a fantastic trait to have, don’t you?”

The cloud of hot pink was back and soon she was a human once again. “Yeah. I do!” She was blushing heavily from the compliment.

“Put some clothes on!” Archie yelled.

—

The four were departing ways, finally. They were soon to be on their way to school.

Veronica skipped down the sidewalk, fully clothed now, away from the three. “See you later darling!” She giggled.

Betty waved from afar, smiling. “Let’s get together real soon!”

Archie got up from hiding behind a tree. “Hurricane Veronica has passed..”

Jughead sighed, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Darn, with all this chaos at home I didn’t get to plant anything.”

Instantly interested, she moved her eyes to his. “Ooh. So, what were you going to plant at your secret base? Something new?”

He met her eyes easily. “Yeah. Strawberries.”

That just happened to be her favorite fruit. “Really? I love strawberries.”

Then he was giving her that dreamy look again. “I’d hoped you might like them.”

She could not tear her eyes away from his. She was pretty sure she was frozen in time, staring at those washed-over blue eyes and smooth olive skin. How could he do this to her?

Archie watched the exchange with squinted eyes. Who the hell cared about plants anyway? Was this mousey’s way of getting her alone with him? Did they just flirt each other to death when they were at their ‘secret base?’

  
Instinct took over, and he moved from his position to knock Betty in the head with his knuckles teasingly. “Come on, we’re going to be late for school.”

Betty nodded, blushing a little at both Jughead’s words and Archie’s movements. She followed him down the sidewalk, beckoning Jughead to come with them.

The rat watched the two walk away from him with annoyance. Why did that feline have to ruin everything for him? What he would give for him to just _leave_..

—

“I’ll take these.” She handed two books to the school’s librarian. One of the titles read “Fun Year-Around Vegetable Garden,” and another read “Martial Artists.”

The librarian nodded, taking them into her hands and beginning to scan them. “Alright, one moment.”

For some reason, she was having way more motivation lately. She was starting to get interested in the things that Sohma and Archie enjoyed, and what they disliked too. If she did that, then maybe she’d get to see more of the sides that they kept hidden from the world. Well, she hoped that would happen.

What broke her from her thoughts was her homeroom teacher. “Oh, there you are. Cooper, there’s a call for you in the staff room.”

She quickly took her books from the librarian with a nod of thanks before rushing to the staff room. She picked up the phone as soon as she got there. “Hello, I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

The voice that met her was the one of an elder. “Grandpa!”


	5. White Slips of Paper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya again!
> 
> im pretty sure nobody reads this, but i’m gonna continue my daily reports:)
> 
> jughead and archie are my babies in this chapter and nobody can tell me any differently.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: NOT ALL SOHMAS SHARE THE SAME BLOOD. FOR EXAMPLE, VERONICA AND ARCHIE DO NOT SHARE BLOOD. THEY ARE JUST CONNECTED VIA ZODIAC SPIRITS HENCE THE LAST NAME “SOHMA.”
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Grandpa called, he said the renovations are wrapping up.”

Sweetpea swallowed. “They work surprisingly fast.”

It was night now, and four of them were sitting in the living room. Sweetpea was trying to busy himself by reading the newspaper, Archie pretending to be interested in the weather report, and Jughead trying to focus on the book in his hands but found himself staring at Betty.

“The exterior walls aren’t done, but it’s ready to live in. Grandpa said I could come back.. so..”

It hadn’t occurred to Jughead that when the renovations were done, she’d be actually leaving the household until now. His mouth was slightly open, hoping for Betty to say that she could stay just a _little_ longer.

Silence filled the room and it made Betty slightly uncomfortable from the lack of responses. So, she gave in to one of her comforting tasks. “I’m just going to start on dinner..” She left the room, closing the sliding doors to the kitchen and turning on the kettle.

She was sure Grandpa’s house was looking great now. Besides, anything has to be better then living in a tent.

Anywhere can be home, _right?_

—

The birds chattering were reassuring as she started to make a mental list of things to tell Sweetpea. She was sitting in front of him, him on the other side of the table. Jughead was beside him, looking rather solemn and almost defeated.

Archie was sitting on the porch, leaning up against a wooden pole. He didn’t want to be around them, but also wanted to listen to what was going on.

“There’s some leftover salted fish in the refrigerator, it’ll go bad before too long. You’ll probably have to pick up some more soy sauce soon. Oh, and the garbage route did change, so keep that in mind. What else.. um, right. Here,” She slid a piece of folded paper across the table. “This is my grandfather’s address. I’ll leave it with you just in case.”

The only one who had courage to speak besides Betty was Sweetpea. “I guess tomorrow is the big day. You’ve done so much for us, thank you.” He had a note of sadness to his voice as he spoke.

The blonde shook her head, putting her hands up. “No, thank you. Also, I promise you can trust me. I’ll take the Sohma family secret to my grave!” Her voice was firm and stern, sealing the promise with only the tone of her voice.

Sweetpea quirked his head slightly. “You’ll enjoy being home again, won’t you?”

She couldn’t help the slight hesitation that followed, but she quickly recuperated. “Oh yes. I’ll settle back in just fine. Anyway, I should go pack up my room and get ready for moving..” She hurried from the room, thanking whatever deities were out there that she didn’t spill too much.

The dog spirit’s eyes followed her as she left the room. “I’d have expected you to stop her.” He said once he made sure she was upstairs.

Jughead closed his eyes with a long sigh. “Why would I? This was always just going to be a temporary living arrangement.” 

Archie moved to lay down on the wooden planks, using his arm as a pillow. “Rat boy is right. The weird thing isn’t her leaving, it’s that she ever lived here in the first place..” His voice had taken on some sort of longing. 

“Of course, and obviously everyone is fine with this development..” Sweetpea muttered.

Meanwhile, Betty had been cleaning up her room when she halted to stare at the photo of her mother. It was silly of her to have thought that her and the Sohmas could become a family. Then again, she had always been on the dim side. 

_The teacher pointed to the neat letters written on the board. The words read: Fruits Basket. “Alright everyone! Here’s what we’re playing today, The Fruits Basket game! Lets remember the rules and have some fun!”_

_The seats had been put into a big circle where each student was seated in. One child was in the middle of the circle, anxiously awaiting the game to begin. When the teacher gave the word, he started pointing to each of the students._

_“You’re an apple!”  
“You’re a banana!”  
“Cherry!”_

_“Pear!”  
“Peach!”_

_He stopped when he landed on Betty. This was set back into a time where the blonde was still in elementary school. “Cooper, you’re a rice ball!”_

_She didn’t know why, but for some reason the boys picked on her a lot back then. He had probably been trying to be mean, but at the time.._

_“Yay! Rice balls are yummy.”_

_After he was done, he then moved his finger into the air and called out one of the fruits. “Okay! Here we go! Apple!”_

_The apples got up from their seats and started a game of mini tag inside the circle. Sounds of children’s cheerful laughter could be heard from the classroom as they chased after each other happily._

_One by one the others were called, and she waited for it to be the rice ball’s turn. She waited, and waited._

That’s right. She’d never been the brightest lightbulb. 

—

“The place looks great! Thanks for letting me stay.” Betty bowed her head in gratitude, smiling as she looked at the people in front of her. Grandpa was waving at her, her aunt was standing in front of him with a half-hearted scowl, and her two cousins were simply staring at her with a strange look.

The older man took a wobbly step closer to her. “We’re glad to have you, Alice dear.”

Her cousin, Claire, rolled her eyes at her grandfather. “Come on grandpa, that’s Betty.”

_It should have been obvious. The rice ball would never be able to join the group. Rice balls don’t belong in a fruit basket._

—

On the kitchen counter was a couple of containers with a rose cloth covering them. On the top of the pile was a note. _“Please warm up the food in containers + the refrigerator. - T”_

Sweetpea looked down at the small package. “Evidently she’s gone. She’s not terribly sentimental as far as goodbyes go..”

Jughead slipped on his black shoes, moving off the porch and starting to head to the garden to clear his mind from the past events.

The dog spirit picked up the note and brought it up to his face to look at it more closely. “Well, that was a clean parting. Even so you left plenty of gifts in your wake..” he was talking to himself, but he didn’t mind. 

Putting the note back down, he looked back to the white slip of paper that was still laid neatly on the main table. Her new address. “Well, goodbye for now.”

Jughead was having way too much trouble trying _not_ to think of a certain somebody. His mind kept replaying memories of their previous encounters as he trudged farther into the back woods.

_“Really? I love strawberries!”_

The mouse’s fists clenched. 

_“Your kindness lights up like a candle.”_

Next his eyes closed as he tried to stop himself.

_“..but please, if I forget this will you befriend me again?”_

His senses told him he arrived at his destination and his eyes opened, looking down at the garden below him. This place wasn’t as special as it was before without Betty here.

Like Jughead, Archie was busy on the roof digging up some of the two’s moments they’d shared together.

_“I actually really like you. I have always loved the zodiac cat!”_

The redhead couldn’t believe he was thinking about a _girl,_ especially Betty Cooper.

_“Right-handed jab!”_

What was wrong with him? She had only left this morning and he was already obsessing over her. It weirded him out.

_“I mean sure, Sohma is great, but the thing is, so are you.”_

Jughead and Archie didn’t agree on anything, but one thing they now shared was a new sense of determination to get Betty back. Not only to just get her back, but to get her back with them, whether it be sitting next to the garden or on the rooftop.

—

Betty stared down at the two books she had checked out, _“Martial Arts,” and “Fun Year-Around Vegetable Garden.”_ She couldn’t help but wonder if they had eaten breakfast this morning. Sweetpea had told her that ever since she appeared, they had started eating breakfast.

The blonde had been busy in her new room, unpacking her belongings when she paused to think about her old living arrangements. Why did she keep going back to them? It was only supposed to be a short-term fling.

Maybe she should have done things differently, like saying goodbye in person. She knew she would see them again at school, so-

“Betty! Are you done unpacking yet?” Claire, her female cousin, opened the door harshly, looking down at her blonde relative.

Completely startled by her sudden intrusion, she jumped. “Oh! I’m sorry. I got distracted.”

She leaned against the door, crossing her arms like a spoiled child. “Ugh. This sucks. Grandpa’s house is bigger than our last one was. Yet, here I am, sharing a room with somebody else.” She complained loudly.

Grandpa poked his head from around the corner. “Oh, Alice, they’re calling for you downstairs.”

Claire furrowed her eyebrows. “It’s still Betty, grandpa.”

The blonde nodded, following him downstairs and coming around the corner as Claire followed. Her older male cousin, Thomas, was seated at a big table while his mother stared disapprovingly at a piece of paper. She had the similar look of a mother angry at her child’s terrible report card.

Betty came to stand in front of her respectively, putting her hands in front of her. “I’m here, you wanted to see me?” the blonde questioned, a little nervous judging by her look.

“That’s right, I did. We need to talk about this sooner rather than later. The thing is, Betty, I hear you were living unchaperoned in a single man’s home. I had a private investigator dig in.”

Claire, who had since lounged on the couch, sprung up. “Huh? Living with a guy? You’re kidding! I thought between the two of us Betty was the more mature one!”

Clearly confused, the blonde didn’t seem to understand. “Wait, a private detective? To follow me? Why do that?”

She set down the paper and moved her glasses farther up her face. “My son has ambitions. He wants to become a police officer. For that happen, we can’t have someone very well with a criminal record in the family, now can we?”

Thomas looked at her with a little bit of a frown, turning around to her and gazing at her with interest.

“At first, I thought having a private investigator would be going too far, but they say Alice used to have violent tendencies. You know, the apple doesn’t always fall far from the tree. If you’re going to live in this house, you need to make sure all your actions are discreet from now on.”

Hanging her head down in shame from her words, Betty swallowed. Her mother did _not_ have violent tendencies, and why was she making it seem like Sweetpea was bad for generously taking her in?

The aspiring police officer rose from his seat, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Be honest Betty, while you were living there, they didn’t do anything to you, did they?” He moved to tower over her, the smirk looking suddenly threatening. “Anything.. indecent? Did he make you get down on your knees-”

The sound of skin on skin shocked Betty as she blinked. Her grandfather was in front of her, his hand hovering away from Thomas’ face. Her older cousin had a growing tender spot on his cheek from the slap.

The entire family seemed to be stunned from her grandfather’s actions.  


  
  
“Dad! What’s gotten into you?” Her aunt said shakily.

Grandpa lowered his hand, shaking his head. “Seriously, are jarring and taunting all you people know how to do? I’m very sorry about them, Alice.”

The blonde still hadn’t gotten over the fact that her sweet grandfather had smacked Thomas. “O-Oh, it’s okay!” she quickly responded, watching Thomas gently brush over the pink spot on his face. He hadn’t hit his grandchild hard, just enough for it to sting.

Folding both his arms behind his back, Grandpa turned back towards his granddaughter with a warm smile. “They’re terribly unpleasant people, but when can you do?”

“Dad, how could you say that?”

“You’re not exactly helping!”

Completely ignoring the comments, he continued on. “Still, nasty or not, they’re still my family and I’ve invited them to share my home. If they say a few ugly things to me, well, I can tolerate it. There’s no reason you should stay here and put up with their petty back-biting.”

Was he trying to get her out of the house? “Are you saying..”

Grandpa realized what she meant. “Oh, no of course not! I’m not trying to kick you out. It’s just, I don’t think think putting up with things really suits you, Alice. Hal said, Alice would always be happier somewhere where she could spread her wings. It’s hard to do that surrounded by negativity and spite.”

_Dad.._

Licking his lips, he looked around his home and then back at Betty. “So, I think you need something a little more than this place. My dear, if there’s some place you rather be, that’s alright. I promise you I’ll understand.”

“No, how could I possibly need more.. when I have so much. Mom loved me with all her heart, I have two friends that are always there for me. Sohma and his family are so kind too. You’re offering me a place to live, a roof over my head again. I can’t be anything but grateful for that. I know I’m blessed, truly. So I shouldn’t say what really I want,” unable to meet his eyes, she stared at the ground. 

“..is to go home. I shouldn’t be asking for more than I already have. I shouldn’t miss the Sohma family so much. Sohma and Archie? I wanted to get to know them better. I wanted to keep eating with them. To keep talking about things under the sun. The truth is.. I didn’t want to leave. Jughead, Archie and Sweetpea. I wanted us all to stay together, learning about eachother. I wanted it so much. Is that selfish of me? Is it asking for more than I deserve?”

Her eyes grew glossy as she closed her mouth, closing her eyes tightly.

“Come on.”

Eyes coming up from the floor quickly, her eyes meet the soft blue ones she enjoyed so much. 

Jughead.

“It’s time to go home.”

—

Archie was pacing the porch, footsteps heavy and the occasional frustrated grunts coming from him. 

Jughead was trying to busy himself reading a book to pass the time. “Would you stop already? You’re distracting me.” 

The redhead stopped in front of him, hair standing up. “If it bothers you so much, go read in your room!” he hissed, turning away to instead look the landscape. “Ugh. What’s with them? Kicking her out for some renovations and then summoning her again when they’re over with?”

“What else would they do? Sounds perfectly normal to me.” 

Clenching his fists, he turned back to his rival. “It isn’t normal at all! They’re treating her like she’s disposable, like what she wants doesn’t even matter!”

The mouse spirit pondered  quietly, turning the page of his novel. “This, from the idiot who left home without so much of a word and dropped off the map for four months..”

Archie’s face became hot and he banged one of his fists against one of the newly fixed windows. “You wanna fight? ‘Cause I’m ready!” He yelled.

Jughead snapped the book closed, looking back at his redheaded opponent. “You’re the angry one,” he responded cooly, picking himself up from the corner and standing up. “..but if you want a beating, let’s go.”

Lip curling up in a snarl, he walked back onto the patio. “I’ll show _you_ a beating! Outside, now rodent!”

Stressed, Sweetpea came from the kitchen and waved his hand. “Will you children please calm down? My poor house can’t take it.”

Jughead merely shrugged. “I am calm.”

If you had to pick a polar opposite, Archie would be. “I’m calm as hell!”  


“Clearly..” Sweetpea’s tone was oozing sarcasm as he moved to sit next to the main table. He pulled out the morning newspaper again to reread some articles.

The cat shook his head harshly, falling back onto the patio’s planks with a clunk. He laid down, hiding his face in his sleeved arm. “Dammit.”

Instead of reading again, Jughead walked over to the wooden table to set down his book when the white slip of paper caught his attention. That was where Betty’s new address was. Looking back at Sweetpea and then to the note, he picked it up. “I’m going to take a walk.”

Sweetpea pulled the newspaper from his face. “Enjoy the fresh air!” He knew Jughead much too well, and it was _clear_ evidence that the note was no longer there. What did surprise him was Archie getting up from the patio and starting to look around the living room. He looked through different shelves impatiently, obviously in search of something. 

Trying to hide his knowing tone of voice, he put on a plain face. “What’s wrong? Looking for something?”

Red hair bobbed as he ducked between cabinets to continue looking. “Oh, uh.. nail clippers.”

Fighting back a smirk, the older man put the newspaper over his face and waited a couple more moments before speaking again. “If you’re looking for the note Betty left, you’re out of luck. Jughead took it.”

Archie jumped up, rushing out the door. “That bastard!”

—

Walking down the open streets with the note in his hand, he looked down at the address and then back up at nearby houses. “It’s hard to find just from the information on here, so what now?” he combed a hand through his hair for comfort.

Eyes widening, he heard a tornado approaching from behind. Well, not a real tornado, but it could have been mistaken for one from how much dust Archie was kicking up from his running. “Hey! Stop right there!” He yelled from a distance, getting closer by the second. 

Archie quickly got close, rearing back an arm to punch Jughead. “If you don’t give me that, I’ll kill yo-” Jughead raised a leg to kick him straight in the face, silencing him.

—

_Yamada._

_Shimizu._

“Not those..” Jughead sighed, walking back to the same spot they had started on.

Archie hung behind him, anger making his muscles tense tightly under his jacket. “Hey, moron! You just took us in a circle!”

Scratching his head, the mouse continued to look down at the note. “I don’t get it. The house should be in this block of buildings..”

“Well, none of the name plates said Cooper, so obviously it’s not.” the cat ran up to Jughead, trying to snatch the note away from him. “Give it!”

The brunette managed to get it away from his grasp quickly. “Hands off.”

Plainly frustrated, the martial artist fumed. “Listen! It just got remodeled, so it’ll be all new and shiny, which means if we haven’t found it yet we’re looking in the wrong place!”

_“The exterior walls aren’t done, but most of the work is complete so.. it’s ready to live in.”_

Jughead sped away until he saw a house that looked to be under construction. Big, shiny coverings were placed over the front of the house. _The exterior walls weren’t finished._

Archie followed behind him, stopping where he did. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

The mouse spirit’s specialty was not caring for anything Archie had to say, so he exercised that talent. Walking up closer, he looked closely at the address plate.

_Cooper._

Feeling a little giddy that he had found it, he opened the gate to the home and started to walk in. “Here it is.” he opened the gate for his companion and then closed it again.

The redheaded man looked confused and almost a little annoyed. “It’s totally still under construction. Why did she have to leave so early?”

Jughead stopped at the door, blinking. “Just outside. Come on, we can at least talk to Miss Cooper,” Did he just knock? Or would he have to say something to be let in? He took the first choice and knocked on the wooden door three times. They waited a couple moments and nobody came to the door. “There’s no answer.”

Archie narrowed his eyes, pushing Jughead out of the way. “Maybe they can’t hear that wussy knock of yours. My turn.” He stepped up to the door, and instead of knocking, let out a loud yell. “Excuse me!”

Jughead’s eyes broadened, slapping a hand over Archie’s mouth and bringing him down to the floor in the process. Infuriated, Archie picked himself up. “What the hell did you do that for?”

“..going too far, but they said Alice used to have violent tendencies, and you know.. the apple doesn’t always fall far from the tree. If you’re going to live in this house, you need to make sure all of your actions are discreet from now on.”

The pair could hear the voice coming from the other side of the house, so they moved stealthily and followed it. They stopped in front of it, managing to look through a small sliver of window that was open. They could see Betty, the woman, her grandfather, and an approaching man that looked like her cousin.

“Be honest Betty, while you were living there, they didn’t do anything to you, did they? Anything.. indecent? Did he make you get down on your knees-”

Jughead and Archie could have had steam coming from their ears as they heard his nasty accusation. How dare he talk like that to such an pure girl like Betty? The Sohma cousins were ready to bust through the window and sock that guy in the face.

Before they actually acted on it though, Betty’s grandfather had done the job for them. They both sat with their mouths wide open, taking in the scene before them.

“Dad! What’s gotten into you?”

Archie had obviously seen enough. “Okay, what the hell is going on..” He turned towards Jughead expectantly.

The mouse was just as confused as him. “How am I supposed to know?”

Clenching his teeth to stop himself from tearing down the entire house, Archie looked at his rival expectantly. “We can’t do anything out here. Let’s go and bring her back.” He stood up with determination, just to be knocked back to the ground with a forceful hand.

“Get down!”  


Sitting back up quickly, he glowered at the man next to him. “What is with you?”

Jughead slapped his hand over the redhead’s mouth for the second time in the past few minutes. “Shut up. Think about it. The important thing here isn’t what we want, it’s what Miss Cooper wants.” 

Squinting his eyes, Archie came to the realization and irritably smacked away the hand on his mouth. Her voice caught both their attention again.

“..is to go home. I shouldn’t be asking for more than I already have. I shouldn’t miss the Sohma family so much. Sohma and Archie? I wanted to get to know them better. I wanted to keep eating with them. To keep talking about things under the sun. The truth is.. I didn’t want to leave. Jughead, Archie and Sweetpea. I wanted us all to stay together, learning about eachother. I wanted it so much. Is that selfish of me? Is it asking for more than I deserve?”

Archie’s eyes became slits, a new-found desire boiling in his stomach. He turned over to Jughead. “Let’s go!”

The rodent was gone.

Archie opened the window from behind the family. “Huh?” His face was a mixture of fury and bewilderment.

“Come on. It’s time to go home.”

The family around was just as startled, even more really. Her aunt was clenching the white piece of paper in her hand, both her cousins were staring in shock, and her grandfather had a small smile on his face.

“Y-You’re.. you’re here.” Betty stuttered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 

Her aunt looked between the two. “Who’s that?”

Thomas’ eyes were stretched wide open. “They’re.. hot.”

Why were they here? “Wait, Sohma I don’t understand-”

Archie moved through the window quickly, taking ahold of Betty’s head with his arm. “It’s time to go.” He said gruffly.

She turned her head around with complete surprise. “Archie? You’re here too, wh-” She let out a high squeal as started to pull her backwards, guiding her out the Cooper home. He opened the door and pulled her out while she squeaked phrases of confusion.

“I’m sorry for the interruption. Your door was unlocked so we let ourselves in. Are Miss Cooper’s things upstairs?” Jughead had a polite smile on his face.

Betty’s aunt took a step away. “Now wait just a moment, what is this?”

Jughead had thought it was plain obvious. “Can’t you tell? We’ve come for Miss Cooper.”

Thomas was still wide-eyed. “Wait, are you from the house Betty was playing living girlfriend? That must mean you’re actually a guy.”

Jughead took a step forward and flicked him square in the face, making him fall to his knees from the pain. His glasses fell off in the process and cracked on their way down. “Be careful how you speak about Miss Cooper in the future, _scum._ ”

Archie was still pushing Betty down the street when she moved away from his grasp. He let her go once he felt her struggle. “Hey, um, Archie? Why did you come here?” They were on the sidewalk in front of where the two cousins had started their search.

The cat spirit put his hands on his hips. “Jeez, you gave us the information so we used it, okay? Not that it was exactly helpful,” He turned his eyes towards hers. “Do you know had long I had to spend looking with that damn rat? It was fucking torture.”

He started to scratch his head. “..but honestly, I don’t understand why I’m doing this either,” He turned away with an annoyed growl. “I mean, why did I feel so on edge the moment you left the house? I don’t get it and that pisses me off even more!”

Those two came for her even though they couldn’t stand being around each other?  


“It’s your fault! If you didn’t want to leave our place, you should’ve just said so,” He turned back to the now embarrassed girl. “We heard the whole thing from outside.”

Ducking her head to hide her stained red cheeks, she swallowed hard. It was beyond humiliating that they’d heard her entire confession.

Archie took a deep breath to calm himself down, not wanting to yell at her. “Being selfish sometimes, it’s no big deal. I wouldn’t like it if someone was selfish every day, but that isn’t the way you are. You can be selfish every once and a while. I figure you deserve that much at least. So next time.. just ask.”

Tears started to spring at her eyes, then dripped down her cheeks as she stared at the concrete below her feet. 

Archie turned his eyes down and jumped once he realized she was crying. “What? What is it? Why are you crying?” he asked, panicking. He didn’t do well when girls cried, especially when Betty did. The last thing he wanted was to see her weeping like this.

“I-I.. wan..wan-want to go home, even if it is sel-selfish, that’s what I want. T-To be with all of you.” Tears dripped down her face and onto the ground below as she clutched her blue skirt. 

Archie looked down at her, swallowing. His eyes came to see Jughead walking behind them with two bags in his hand. His gaze shifted back to the crying girl below him, and on instinct, he took one of her hands. Turning the other way, he started to lead her back to the Sohma residence. “Then come on, let’s go home.”

His warm hand taking hers caught her off guard for a second, but her feet had no choice but to move along with his. His hand molded into hers easily, grasping it with little effort. The small motion felt wonderful. “Wait, Archie, what about all of my stuff?”

Another hand taking hers caused her to stop. This hand was smoother, cooler. Turning back, she could see Jughead giving her a reassuring smile as he squeezed her hand. “Let’s go.”

_She felt like she was back in the Fruits Basket game._

_“Okay, next is..” a finger pointed around until it landed on Betty Cooper. “The rice ball!”_

_This time, though, she wasn’t running into a circle to play tag. Instead, she was running to Jughead and Archie, catching both their hands as she went. Their hand’s encircled around hers, and as they did, she realized something._

She had finally been chosen.

—

Sweetpea clapped a couple times, greeting them at the door. “You captured the fair maiden. Congratulations, boys!” he applauded with a smile.

Archie took his shoes off at the front door and grimaced. “You make us sound really creepy when you put it that way..” he moved past Sweetpea into the house.

“Let’s go with _rescued_ the fair maiden.” Jughead supplied instead.

Betty was at a loss for words. “Uhm, I guess I’m moving back in here then.”

Satisfied, Sweetpea nodded his approval. “So it would appear, and if there is any fallout, just leave it to me.”

The blonde took a step up. “I couldn’t ask you to do that! You’ve already done so much.”

Waving her off, the dog spirit shook his head. “Now, now. Don’t be silly. It’s good that you’re back. These two tried awfully hard after all. Couldn’t have been easy. Swallowing their pride, stealing your note, dashing off on a desperate search for you.”

Archie scoffed behind him.

Obviously enjoying this, the older cousin chuckled. “It was impressive. I have to say, I’ve never seen our Jughead go to pieces quite like that.”

The tips of Jughead’s ears became red. “I did not go to pieces!” he blurted from behind Betty, biting the inside of his cheek as he looked away. “..that much.”

“You liar. Your face was basically screaming regret-” Jughead landed the iconic kick onto Archie’s cheek which sent him tumbling to the floor.

“I believe that was your face.” Jughead seethed.

Sweetpea scratched his scalp, turning back towards Betty. “It’s not a perfect home, but it’s yours.. if you want it.”

“Damnit, you rat!”

“Something wrong?” 

“Come over here so I can kill you!”

Betty had a smile on her face. She had even missed their constant jabbing. “Yes, I do!” she accepted gleefully.

“Today is the day I take you out!”

“This just keeps getting more and more embarrassing..”

So, after the eventful day, she was finally home.. with her new family.

However, a question still hovered over her head. _What would become of her if Hermione decided she was no longer worthy to know the Sohma secret?_


	6. Pretty Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya everyoneeeee!
> 
> just wanted to put out there that everyone commenting is so nice and literally every comment makes me want to send you a literal gift. all of my love goes out to u guys.
> 
> on a side note, finn is a total softie and I’m so glad i got to introduce him this chapter. 
> 
> ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: HIRAM IS NOT VERONICA’S FATHER IN THIS FIC.
> 
> i literally have nothing interesting to say so ill just let you read the damn story.
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The 29th Annual Kaibara Cultural Festival had arrived.

The high school was booming with students. Colorful decorations were stringed all over the school, making it a more lively place. Each homeroom has been set to their own booth, and they had decided on rice balls as previously approved.

Their rice ball stand was most likely the most popular out of all the booths. They were stationed in the huge theater room, but it had been cut off into separate parts so that many booths come compile. Theirs had multiple tables, utensils, and seating all around so that people would have no problem sitting down to eat a couple rice balls.

Their station was running with four people, who eventually changed shifts with others. Betty, Cheryl, and Toni had already done their shift so they hung by the sidelines, watching their customers enjoy the rice balls. Toni thought it would be interesting to dress up as witch in spite of the event.

_“Man, these are selling like crazy!”_

_“Rice balls were a great idea.”_

_“Perfect festival food.”_

One of the boys from behind the booth stuck his head out to Betty. “They’re only selling so good because Cooper made them so well.”

Modestly, Betty shook her head. “No, no! It wasn’t a big deal, but the cat ones _are_ adorable.”

Archie was behind them, a cat-rice-ball in his hand. He stared it down as he brought it close to his face. “This feels wrong..”

Betty looked over to where a huge group of girls _and_ boys had gathered. “Somehow, I don’t think rice balls are the reason we’re doing so much business today.” In the middle of the crowd was Jughead, but not just his normal self. He had been put into a light-pink, flowy dress. Somehow, they had managed to convince him that it would bring in more sales. He looked like a pretty princess. 

Everybody had been stopping by throughout the day to get a look at him. Boys, girls, even some teachers too. It really helped to boost their rice ball sales. 

Betty’s eyes looked over to Jughead again, smiling a little. He caught her eye and then immediately looked away, dropping his gaze to the floor. That surprised Betty. “He won’t look at me. I hope I didn’t make him angry somehow.”

Archie piped up from behind. “Nah, just ignore him. He gets kinda insecure about his face sometimes, ‘cause its so pretty.” He smirked, two hands on his hips as he moved closer to Betty’s trio.

“No.. what should I do? I didn’t realize he was so miserable. This whole time I’ve just been thinking about how cute he looks dressed like that.” The energy around her had turned from content and bubbly to plain cold.

Cheryl put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t sweat it. I guarantee you’re not the only one..”

Archie was having too much fun with the situation. “Seriously, in that dress you’d never know he was a dude.” he laughed.

“Lange nicht gesehen! You look like a königliche Prinzessin!” In a second, a blonde child jumped onto Jughead’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck. It was that blonde boy she met leaving work that one day! What was he doing here?

Cheryl looked dumbfounded. “Who’s that?”

Archie was just as perplexed as everyone else. “What’s he doing at the festival?”

Betty turned around to Archie with her eyebrows furrowed. Did someone else actually know who he was? “You mean you know who that is Archie?”

Another surprise came through the door, which was a tall, slim older brunette man. He had a large brief-case looking brown bag in his hand and a jacket in another. “Finn, don’t go wandering off like that.” He had dark blue eyes that practically looked into the soul.

“Sorry Hy!” His voice was thick with a german accent as he wobbled a little on Jughead. He had since moved up to sit on the boy’s shoulders comfortably.

He stepped up in front of Jughead, looking the boy up and down. “So, you’re looking well today Jughead,” His eyes then found Archie in the crowd. “Archie too.”

Finn jumped down from Jughead’s shoulders, his slippers landing back down smoothly on the wooded floor. “Hey! Guten Tag! I’m Finn Sohma, half German and half Japanese,” he had a small brown hat on, a turtle neck covered by a warm green jacket, and slippers on his feet. “..and this is Hiram Sohma! We’re related to your classmates Jughead and Archie!” the blonde boy announced to the students standing in front of them. 

Archie looked a little concerned as he looked over at the two, as if he knew something she didn’t. That only made the blonde more curious. “They’re part of your family?”  
  
  
“Uhuh..”

Wow, they were at the school? She was lucky to meet more of the Sohmas. She wondered if these two were members of the zodiac too.

Hiram looked over to the crowd of students. “Now that we’re acquainted,” he casted his eyes back to Jughead and eyed his dress. “Maybe you’d like to tell me when you became a girl?”

Jughead hand’s bunched up his skirts. “Based on the number of times you’ve seen me naked, you know full well I’m _definitely not.”_

That sent the girls in the crowd into a blushing, giggling, gossiping mess.

Out of the blue Hiram pulled out a stethoscope, putting the end to Jughead’s heart to hear his heart beats. “Now, take a deep breath for me.”

The mouse spirit looked irritated but didn’t move away. “I know you’re a doctor, but you don’t need to give me an exam here..”

Hiram took the stethoscope away from his chest. “That would be true if you stopped by for your checkup once a month.” he scolded lightly, packing it back into his brief case.

That statement alone managed to worry Betty, so she pushed past the crowd and headed over to the pair. Archie had reached a feeble hand to stop her, but the effort wasn’t exactly there. “Oh no. Don’t tell me that you’re sick or something.”

The Sohma doctor moved his gaze towards Betty. “Jughead has some bronchial issues. He frequently had trouble breathing when he was young,” the mouse spirit narrowed his eyes, irked that he would just announce that in front of everyone else at school. “Are you Betty Cooper?”

She broke out in a warm smile, excited to know that he knew who she was. “That’s me, pleased to meet you.” she bended down in greeting before coming back up. 

Hiram put a hand to his chin, rubbing it. “I see. You really are a normal girl.”

Jughead moved to stand in front of Betty, blocking his vision of the girl. “Hey, don’t think about it-”

Someone’s loud gasp caught them off guard and they turned towards the sound. Bringing their eyes up, they saw Finn sitting on top of the booth. It was well above ground, and if he fell off, it would be fatal. “You shouldn’t climb on that booth, it’s not safe!” One girl shrieked. 

Unbothered, Finn nibbled on his cat rice ball. “Why not?”

Archie came below him, raising a fist at him threateningly. “What do you think you’re doing?” The redhead barked.

Betty looked between Finn and the two Sohma men behind her. “What if he falls off? I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.” the schoolgirl rushed over the booth.

“Why are you here?” Jughead accused, but calmly. He _was_ curious, but he didn’t like the way Hiram was looking at Betty. It rubbed him the wrong way.

Folding his arms over his chest, he casted a side glance at Jughead. “If you’re not thrilled that we’re here, you can take it up with Finn. He brought home a flyer and Hermione got interested.” 

Jughead visibly stiffened at the mention of Hermione. 

The older man continued. “Hermione has a fairly high fever though, so I nixed the idea. Of course that just meant I ended up having to go instead,” he could see the way the younger Sohma was practically vibrating with suspicion. “Relax. I’m not here to do anything to your new friend.”

Jughead scowled at him, eyes narrowing.

“..but, let me give you a piece of advice. That threatening look doesn’t look that scary when you’re in a dress.”  


The mouse spirit looked away. “I don’t need your opinion.”

Somehow, they had managed to get Finn down without any casualties. Archie had taken the blonde boy by the hat and dragged him behind a curtained area of the cafeteria. “You’re such a little pain!” 

Betty followed closely behind, sectioning off their private corner by closing the rest of the curtain. 

Cheryl watched observantly as they disappeared. “Is it me, or has Betty been acting funny recently? Maybe it’s because she’s been getting real friendly with the prince and carrots.”

Toni tipped her black witch hat. “Yes, and her waves have changed. I’m concerned.”

Betty let out a deep breath, staring at the green curtain. She was thankful they had this small corner just to themselves. She heard a child’s cry from behind and she turned around.

“Don’t hit me!” Finn whined, sitting on the floor. 

Archie was standing over him angrily. “Now don’t move a muscle!"

Betty shook her head and hands, taking steps over to the windows and covering half of them with curtains too. She turned back to her new blonde friend. “Don’t do that.” She said worriedly to Archie.

With a grimace, he stepped away from Finn and instead leaned on a nearby table. Finn turned his head around to Betty. “Hi Betty! How are you? I came to see you!” He got up from his position to stand in front of her will a giggly grin.

“O-Oh, good afternoon,” she laughed, pressing her hands together in front of her. “So you’re in the Sohma family too then?”

He put one hand on his hip and then another one in the air. “Yaa! It must have been fate ‘dat brought us ‘gether that day.” The German in him was evident.

Archie watched from behind, a perplexed look coming over his face. “Wait, do you two know each other?”

Finn turned around, extending his hands outward. “Yes, we met at Hy’s building! Oh ya. I like to hang out ‘der. Hy is the CEO!” 

Betty perked up. “Huh? He runs the company?” She exclaimed.

Finn turned around, his smile growing wider as he extended his arms to his sides. “Hey! You know about the zodiac spirits, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Betty said softly, looking between Finn and Archie. This child had so much energy and it made the blonde happier by the moment.

At her response, he extended his arms wider. “Yay! That means it’s okay if I hug you! Here it comes!” 

The blonde boy jumped up, about to wrap his arms around the girl before Archie grabbed his hat, cutting him short. “Hold it Romeo, we’re still in public.” the redhead snapped at the younger boy.

Finn turned around, eyebrows furrowing. “You can’t stop me just because you _like_ her! I bet you hug Betty _everyday!”_

Archie’s cheeks became red and his grip loosened. “I do not!”

He took the chance to struggle away from his grip, and instead jumped onto Betty, bringing his arms around her. “I gotcha!” He hugged her tightly, surprising Betty when he turned into a cloud of yellow. No matter how many times the Sohmas turned into clouds of smoke, it would still surprise her.

The sound was loud, and outside the students heard it. They all questioned amongst themselves, confused. Among the confused was Toni and Cheryl, whom took matters into their own hands and opened the curtain. “Betty?”

Cheryl tilted her head. “Huh? Where’d that bunny come from?” On her knee was a small yellow and brown bunny, nestled comfortably. His clothes were discarded on the floor. Archie was standing over them, wide-eyed as he looked between the pair below him and the others behind the curtain.

“Hey.. the little kids clothes are on the floor.. where would he go without his clothes? That’s weird.”

Thinking fast, Jughead looked down dramatically. “Weird? Well, if that’s the case, I’m weird. Dressing as a girl even though I’m a boy?” With those two statements alone, boys and girls that had been paying attention to the explosion before crowded around Jughead.

_“Shut up!”_

_“You’re literally perfect!”_

_“Please don’t say that!”_

_“You look so good.”_

While the others were distracted, Betty rushed out of the curtained room. She sped down the hallway and up to the roof with the small bunny in her arms. That acting was a brilliant tatic and a great sacrifice.

—

“You damn brat! Do you even understand what you’ve done?” Archie yelled, now on the roof with the two.

The bunny was busy hugging Betty, two paws on her shoulders and the rest cupped in her hand. “He’s scary Betty!” he whined into her shirt.

Giggling quietly, she held him closely. “So much for guessing what zodiac you are!”

Hiram had a hand on his face, stressed. “Disastrous. It was a good thing Jughead thought fast and distracted everyone.”

Archie let out a short, humorless laugh. “He can complain all he wants, but I think he likes his girly features in the-” In mere seconds, the redhead was flung in the air. He landed after a couple seconds, crashing back down onto the roof.

Jughead turned around, looking down at him. “Shall we see if you can go higher?”

  
  
The cat spirit held his nose. “You damn rodent..”

“Ahh. I almost forgot there’s something important I have to do. You two, line up here in front of me.” Hiram stated, one hand in his pocket.

Jughead looked a little reluctant. “Why?”

  
  
“Do as you’re told.”

Archie and Jughead shared a look before following orders, standing next to each other. “What is this about?” Archie asked, fighting the urge to disobey.

Hiram Sohma looked up at the two. “I want you to say the first thing that comes to mind,” his eyes narrowed a little as he paused. “Macaroni and..”

“Cheese?”

The least thing they expected was a camera to flash in front of them, taking a quick picture. The older man took a quick look at the photo before putting it down. “Hermione asked me to bring back a nice photo of you boys. See you.” 

Finn, still a yellow bunny, gave Betty a nuzzle before jumping onto Hiram’s shoulder. “Tschüss!”

Archie looked even more infuriated before, but then again, when was he not? He raised a fist at him as he started to walk away. As he exited the roof, the redhead followed. “Hiram! You get back here right now!”

Jughead had moved down to his knees, staring down at the concrete. “This is the worst. What will Hermione say about my dress? I’ve got to get out of this thing.” He took off the first layer, bringing it over his head.

“Wait! Right here?”  


Archie had since moved through the door and was at the top of the stairs, yelling inaudible things at Hiram and Finn as they walked away. He then darted down the stairs to go after them.

Jughead paused, keeping the layer over his head. “I’m sure I’ll feel better once it’s off.”

Betty watched from behind, watching half of his bare back glisten in the sunlight. “Sure, but think! Everyone liked it so much, they thought you looked cute!”

The brunette sat with his eyes still cast downwards. “Boys don’t like being called cute, you know.”

That was a new one, she didn’t know that. Turning away, she leaned against the railing. “Oh. I’m sorry, I actually thought you looked pretty cute.”

His face looked shameful. “I didn’t want to see me looking like that. So pathetic.”

“Um, thing is.. whenever my mother called me cute, the word always filled me with this incredible sense of happiness. I knew what she really meant was that she loved me. It was a form of love between us.” She’d never get to hear her say that again.

Turning back around, she looked down at him. “Anyway.. I think that’s what our classmates meant, that they like you.. and they, um..” she suddenly stopped, closing her mouth and then reopening it again to apologize. “Hold on, am I making this worse for you by talking so much?”

Jughead’s demeanor changed. “Actually, what you’ve shared makes me feel.. kinda better. I guess I could give my classmates a little more fanservice,” He attempted to pull the top layer back down but found one of the buttons was wrapped in a loose curl. “..but first,can you help me with this? There’s a button stuck in my hair.”

Betty smiled, kneeling down in front of his seated form. “This design doesn’t exactly look like it’s easy to get off and on.” She started to pick apart pieces of hair from cloth.

“If you wore it.. I bet you’d look great.” Jughead complimented, his eyes still was downwards while she fiddled above.

Her smile grew a little brighter. “I don’t think I could pull it off, but I wish I could. Just like a princess.” 

Jughead stopped her hands by rubbing a hand on her left elbow. “You’d look cute.”

The blonde paused, looking down at him. Her eyes sparkled a little at his comment. Had he just called her cute? Her heart started pounding in her chest.

Noticing her silence, he continued. “It’s the truth. You’d be much cuter than me,” The layer of cloth fell from his head back into his lap. “I swear.”

Betty was lost, then, memorized by his words. She noticed him get up from the corner of her eye and heading to the door. “We should get back. Thanks for the help, Betty.”

She was touched by his words. She thought her heart would simply beat out of her chest. Honestly, more than being cute or beautiful or anything like that, Sohma was just so.. cool, and he didn’t even try.

In some span of time that she didn’t remember, they were walking downstairs to get back to the main event. She was still mentally recovering from their encounter. “Oh, by the way, Miss Cooper?” 

They both stopped in the middle of the stairs. “Yes?”

He continued to look down at the stairs below him. “About Hiram. If you ever see him again, it’d be best to avoid being alone with him.” 

Betty trusted Jughead, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t curious. “Why do you say that?”

“..because, he was the one who suppressed everyone’s memories when I got discovered. So I guess.. I just want you to be careful around him, that’s all.” 

It finally made sense why both Archie and Jughead had been so on edge the moment he stepped in. They most likely feared he was here for an alternate reason.

She wanted to respond but Cheryl beat her to it. “Hey! Betty.” At the bottom of the stairs, Cheryl and Toni had appeared practically out of thin air.

He gave a reassuring look to Betty before going back down the stairs. “Well, I’m going to head back to the classroom.”

The blonde watched him go down the stairs before turning back to her two friends. “So, um, whats up?”

The redhead arched a brow. “Spill it. Is there something about the prince that you’re hiding from us?”

That sent Betty into a state of quiet panic and exasperation. There was _no_ way they knew. 

Toni was second to speak up. “Say, you and Jughead Sohma could be an item?”

That calmed her down a little. They hadn’t been on her case about the zodiac spirits, but they were still interrogating her. She was sure she looked like a tomato when she spoke. “No, no! It’s not like that, we just live together. Nothing weird is going on.”

She regretted her words as soon as she said them.

Cheryl looked utterly stunned and Toni looked up from her witch’s hat. “I’ll need you to.. explain.”

—

Soon they were back on the roof where Betty had started. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier! I’m being honest. They’re great people, so there’s no need to worry about me.”

Toni looked at Betty’s apologetic face with a small frown. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been more shocked in my entire life.”

Cheryl, who had been looking down to the festival below, sighed. “I had noticed you were weirdly chummy with Jughead and the redhead. It had me confused, but now I get why.” She moved back to look at her blonde friend.

“Perhaps we should invite ourselves over. That way we can personally assess the environment and make sure it’s good for you.” Toni proposed, her frown turning into a flat line.

Her redheaded female friend looked excited by the proposition. “That’s a killer idea! Let’s go right now.”

Toni put a single hand up. “Hold on. If they don’t expect us, there might not be snacks on hand.”

Cheryl nodded her head slowly. “Okay yeah, good point, but I’m still concerned here.”

“Agreed. Fortunately it’s a school holiday tomorrow, let’s sleep over tonight. Strike where the eye is hot, as they say.”

What would the Sohmas think about this? Three girls in the house now? One was dangerous enough, and now they’d have three times that amount? However, she knew nothing she’d say would stall their ideas.

Cheryl put a thumbs-up in the air. “That sounds awesome. We’ll go straight home after school and grab our stuff.. and we won’t cause any trouble.”

—

At the front door was Cheryl and Toni, changed out their school attire. Toni was wearing a long back skirt with a black jacket covering it. She topped it off with another black bow. Cheryl next to her was dressed head-to-toe in red, a large red blazer covering most her body.

“Evening.”

“Prince. Carrots. Old man.”

The four residents of the house stood in front of them with the door opened. Sweetpea, at the front, was sweating bullets. “Hello! So glad you’re here.”

Fiddling with one of her two braids, the blonde looked over to Sweetpea. “I’m sorry, I didn’t give you much warning that they were coming.” she said quietly.

The dog spirit still had a tight-lipped smile on his face. “Nah, you’re fine.”

“Sweetpea,” Archie pulled on one of his robe sleeves. “Are you sure about this? Word around school is that you shouldn’t underestimate wave girl.”

The slight panic on Sweetpea’s face was contradicting his words. Sure, he could go out in public and be around girls, but three girls in the house that weren’t family? That was a stretch. “This’ll work out fine! Don’t be so nervous!”

Toni interrupted their pep talk. “.. a dog. Well hello there.” She looked down at the Shiba that had appeared at the steps. It barked at Sweetpea happily.

Betty swallowed. This was not going too good. She let out a bit of a nervous laugh. Archie was heaving behind Betty, while Jughead put a hand on his forehead, rubbing his temples.

Surprised, he thought quickly. “Ah.. a dog! Well, thats unexpected. Bad boy, you go back outside.”

After a few more awkward exchanges, Sweetpea led them into the living room where the six sat around the main table. Betty took the time to pour them each a cup of tea she had prepared before they arrived. Once she finished, she took her seat at the table between her two friends and blew on her tea to busy herself.

Cheryl pursed her lips. “So old man, I mean, Sweetpea, what do you do for a living?”

Sweetpea pointed to him. “Oh, me? Well, I’m a writer, a novelist in fact.”

Betty Cooper certainly had not known that. “Wait, hold up, you write books?” she gasped with enthusiasm.

Turned off by the fact that her blonde friend hadn’t known that, Cheryl looked up at her with a disappointed look. “Why are you surprised by that? You lived here and didn’t know.”

Jughead came to Sweetpea’s rescue. “What do you call it? High literature?”

The older man nodded. “Yep!” He shuffled through his robes until he supplied a small book, sliding it across the table. It looked like a romantic, teenage-girl catching manga. The cover was a young schoolgirl in the arms of a muscular man. It was titled _“Summer Sigh.”_

The entire table looked down at the book with fireworks in their eyes. Recognizing his mistake, he knocked it off the table and instead pulled out another. “Whoops, I meant something like this.” Instead, this book was simply blue with one word on it, _“Palpitations.”_

He picked up the other book in his other hand sheepishly. “This one was just for fun, the other one has things I’m more interested in.”

Cheryl looked like she could tear his head off. “Yeah? Well, that doesn’t change the fact that you still wrote it!” 

Toni, instead of speaking, took the romance book from the table and flipped through the pages with interest.

Betty had the opposite reaction. “That is so impressive! I never realized I might personally meet an author in real life!” Her voice and words were genuine as she spoke.

Obviously enjoying her praise, Sweetpea’s expression turned from bashful to pleased. “Oh stop..”

Jughead looked between the dog spirit and Betty. “Careful, praising him will just inflate his ego.”

Archie chipped in. “I don’t think it’s possible for his head to get any bigger than it is.”

An idea popped into Betty’s head from all the conversation. “Oh hey! I just thought of something that might be fun. Wait here, I’ll be right back!” Her braids jumping on her back while she disappeared upstairs was the last thing they saw until she was gone.

“On that note, I’m out. Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment tonight. You kids try not to have too much fun..” Sweetpea got up from his sitting position, offered a smile, and then left the living room to slip on his sandals.

Cheryl gave a long sip to her tea before speaking. “So, she’s fine. In fact, it seems like she’s fitting in well here. I’m happy about that, and I know she only kept it from us so we wouldn’t worry,” her pupils became a little smaller as she reconciled a memory. “Still. We swore we’d be there if she ever needed help. Anything. Maybe that sounds dramatic to you, but Betty was the first friend we ever had. In a lot of ways, she saved us.”

Her fingers wrapped around the still hot tea cup. “I don’t expect you two to understand that. I just hate this. That we didn’t know to support her when she needed it. It’s like Betty does all the work in our friendship but can’t count on us for putting in the same energy. Is it even worth being friends with us?”

Archie took the next stand. “Look, you’re good. She’s not the kinda of girl that sweats stuff like that.”

Jughead was the next to speak. “Miss Cooper. She deserves the moon but would never ask you for it.” His voice was timid as he said those words.

Their blonde friend came around the corner with a deck of cards in her hands. “I’m back! Sorry it took so long. I couldn’t find the cards anywhere. Let’s play Richman-Poorman!”

Toni put down the romance book, putting both her hands on the table. “That’s a brilliant idea. I’m in.”

Cheryl had a smirk start pulling on her lips. “Ah, yeah. I can’t wait to school Coppertop here.”

Archie slammed his palm down on the table. “Not a chance. I’ll beat you, and when I do, you gotta dye your hair black. Got it?”

“Fine, but if you lose you have to dye _your_ hair back to it’s original color.”

Betty kneeled down in front of Jughead, showing him the deck of cards. “Here, do the honors? Cut the card for us?”

Jughead looked at her and then back to the cards with a shy smile. Here he was, doing what he said he was going to do. Reach out to other people.. and Betty was helping him along, like always. “Yeah. Sure.”

“This is my natural color, you box-dye moron!”

“Natural color my ass!”

—

The air was crisp and cold when Sweetpea entered Hermione’s house. She had set a candle that was burning soundly, filling up the room with light and the smell of autumn. He found her on the patio with her windows open, sitting on the ground. 

“How are you feeling? Jughead and Archie seem much happier and I’m certain it’s because Betty is living with us now,” He kneeled down on the ground a little ways away from her, keeping a healthy distance. “I hope things continue on a positive track.”

After a moment of silence, Sweetpea continued. “I know your real goal. I assume you think this will fail, but you’re out of luck,” the dog spirit settled his hands into his lap. “..because, you see, Betty is a much better person than you are.”

Hermione turned her head towards his gaze slightly. “You don’t have to say it. I know I always ask for the moon.”

—

Cheryl held her throat. “Ugh, I yelled too much and my throats hurts.”

The three girls were in Betty’s room, which was a flurry of pink. Pink curtains, pink bed, even some pink objects around the room. “Hey, at least you didn’t end up as the poorman like me.” Betty laughed as she fluffed up her pillows.

Toni felt up the rather big bed they were laying on. “This is a pretty luxurious bed.”

Archie was coming up the stairs to get to his own room when he hard the girls chatting through Betty’s door.

  
  
“Isn’t it? Sweetpea bought it for me!”

  
“Jeez. What is he, some kind of Mr.Moneybag?”

The sound of something hitting the floor could be heard.

_ “Woah, Betty. You still have that hat? Why do you still have that?” _

_ “Of course I do, it’s an important memento.” _

_ “Really? What’s the story?” _

His ears perked with sudden interest.

In Betty’s room she had picked up the beat-up hat and was holding it in her hands. “Oh, that’s right. I never got around to telling you guys the story. It was from when I was a kid. In elementary school, the boys bullied me all the time.” Her eyes became spaced out as she brought back the memory.

“One day, they were chasing me and I was so scared running away from them that I completely lost track of where I was. So I hid, because I was afraid they would find me. Eventually I just sat down and cried, balling my eyes out. That’s when I saw a boy across the street, and he was wearing this hat,” she motioned to the one in her hand. “He sat and stared at me for a while, and then ran off, without saying a word. For some reason, I chased after him, like it was on instinct.”

_“Wait! I don’t want to be alone! I want to go home! Please don’t run so fast!”_

Betty continued. “I almost lost sight of him so many times, but he’d wait for me to catch up.. and thanks to this mysterious boy, I found myself outside of my apartment building once again.” She cradled the hat to her chest.

_The boy gently put the hat he was wearing on her head, and with that, disappeared._

Toni smiled at her story. “That’s a wonderful memory. If the two of you met again later and fell in love, it would be an even better story. It’s the type of setup from a romance novel.”

The blonde laughed at her comment. “I won’t hold my breath. If I did meet him again, I’d at least like to tell him thanks. He’s probably forgotten all about it by now though, I bet it was just another day for him. Still, he holds a special place in my heart.”

Cheryl bit her lip. “You poor kid, you even had a rough life when you were little, didn’t you?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t say that at all. I recently learned exactly how lucky I am, and I won’t take that for granted. I get to live in this house with the Sohmas, I had an incredible mother, and I have not one but two wonderful friends named Cheryl and Toni, right here by my side,” she put her hands into her lap and dropped the hat back onto her bed. “I know you two will always have my back. How could I possibly be ungrateful when I have people who care? I love you two.”

_“Look, you’re good. She’s not the kind of girl who sweats stuff like that.”_

_“Miss Cooper. She deserves the moon but would never ask you for it.”_

Betty got down from her bed and started to neatly arrange the hat again. “Alright, we should probably be getting to sleep..”

Cheryl looked down at the pink mattress sheets. “They really do get her, don’t they?”

Toni nodded agreement. “It’s true. They see straight through to her essence.”

Soon, the three of them were under her sheets, side by side.

To Betty, this was an incomparable friendship. Never would she find friends as loyal as these.

—

The sound of toast coming out of the toaster could be heard and so could Archie’s gulping of milk.

Jughead came around the corner, looking at the cat spirit in disgust. “Cretin. I’ve told you not to drink straight from the carton.”

Archie wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Lay off you stuck-up rat.”

That proved to be the wrong retaliation, because Jughead quickly kicked out his knees which sent milk flowing all over him. “Oops, looks like you spilled the milk. Go and buy more for us.”

When the redhead stood back up, his hair was covered in milk and his shirt was soaked. “You jerk! That’s it! We’re settling this right now!”

“..a cat and a rat. Uncanny.”

Jughead, Archie, and Betty stood on edge for a second. Gulping, the blonde turned around to where her friends were standing behind them. “Oh hello! You’re up. Can I get you something?”

Cheryl turned towards her pink-haired friend. “Why do you say that?”

“You know, that children’s cartoon.. Tom and Jerry? Still, this seems like a fun house to live in. I’ve decided that if I came over and found out it was a bad environment for Betty, then I’d do all sorts of things to the two of you.” She was suddenly staring straight at Archie and Jughead.

Archie actually sounded a little frightened. “What kinds of things?”

Toni had a small smile on her face as she titled her head. “Has anyone ever told you? Your waves are quite nice.”

The two cousins shared a look. “Huh?” They asked in unison.

Toni weaved a hand through her hair. “Oh, you don’t realize it? That’s good too.”

Cheryl enveloped Betty in a tight side-hug. “Well, we’re counting on the two of you. Please look after her for us.”

Archie looked away after a second. “That was like..”

Jughead finished the sentence. “..they were giving away a bride.”

Toni and Cheryl took their places at a small table in the kitchen. “We’ll have to visit here again. I’d like to investigate the Sohma family’s strange waves.” Toni said lightly.

Archie felt his face harden. “Woah, woah. She’s got to be kidding!”he retorted quickly, his eyebrows furrowing.

Betty turned around quickly. “Archie!” She held her hands to her chest in a praying motion. “I promise that I’ll be super careful, okay? Your secret will not get out. Plus they’re both really good people. I swear.”

Archie put down the fist he had made and his features became less tense. “Fine, have it your way..” he melted under the impact of her voice.

Jughead nodded along. “Yes, they are your friends.”

Smiling in her thanks, she started to head back to her two friends when she heard the home phone ring. She rushed over to the phone and then picked it up, bringing it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Is this Betty Cooper?”

Her hand held the phone a little tighter. “Uh, yes? May I ask who’s calling?”

“Hiram Sohma. We met at the festival yesterday.”  


Betty gasped a little bit into her phone, trying to swallow her nervousness.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I need you to come to the Sohma estate on your next day off. I have something important I must discuss with you. Don’t tell anyone about this. You’ll come by yourself as well.” Her mind went back to Jughead’s warning words.

_“..he’s the one who suppressed their memories, so just be careful.”_

“If you don’t show up, I trust you know what’ll happen.”

Trying to keep her voice steady, she responded. “Right. I-I’ll be there.”

“Good. Who knows? You may even get to meet Hermione.”  



	7. Glass Shards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still wondering if people read these notes..
> 
> anyways loves, i just wanna tell you guys that this is going to be a long ass story. it’s going to at least have 35-40 chapters, so i might split it into two different parts.
> 
> IMPORTANT: HERMIONE IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO EITHER HIRAM OR VERONICA. THOSE THREE HAVE NO RELATIONS EXCEPT BEING PART OF THE ZODIAC. :)
> 
> sorry this chapter doesn’t have the three main characters and mainly pertains to Hiram, Betty, and Finn.
> 
> my shortest chapter so far:(
> 
> the next chapter is more interesting hehe.
> 
> this chap. is also a little dark so beware.
> 
> bye bye for now! 
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Archie burst into the living room, almost breaking the sliding door as he yanked it open. “Hey! I can’t find her. She’s gone.” He alerted the two below him that were busy eating breakfast.

Sweetpea muffled a laugh as he nibbled on a piece of toast. “Don’t get your whiskers in a twist, she said she was going out to visit a friend.” he reminded the younger zodiac spirit.

Jughead didn’t look up and instead continued watching the morning news. “Are you incapable of listening to anything people say?”

Archie, obviously flustered by his wrongful outburst, quickly thought of a retort. “Hey! She never goes out with her friends, what am I supposed to think?”

The dog spirit picked up his cup of tea, breathing in the vapor that came from the liquid. “Well, looks like Archie’s hissy fit shows just how much Betty has become part of the household. He’s positively lost without our fair maiden..”

—

Betty gulped. The Sohma estate was huge. To merely enter, there was a gigantic gate. It was beyond intimidating and she wasn’t even sure how to get through the gate. She had came without telling Sohma and the others, just like Hiram said she should, but now he was wondering if that was such a good idea.

“Betty!” Finn tweeted from above the gate, sitting on one of the beams. “Hello! You’re here right on time!”

Completely startled by his sudden presence, she jumped and almost fell back onto the gravel below her feet. She managed to catch herself before she plummeted, though. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry! You startled me!”

The big doors opened to reveal the Sohma estate before her. Finn appeared again, two hands behind his back as the child beamed at her. “Come in! Welcome to the Sohma estate.” He greeted, motioning with a hand to come in.

Following him as he started to walk further into the estate, she moved to his side. “Wow, thanks. This is really something.”

As they walked side by side, Betty took in the scenery around her. The houses were closely packed together, and many pine trees were around each house. There was nobody outside, the streets were completely empty. She couldn’t believe how quiet it was, almost like nobody actually lived here. It was sort-of peaceful.. but it was also making her nervous.

The walk wasn’t long, but by the time they arrived at Hiram’s residence, the blonde was heaving from nervous exhaustion.

“Welcome to my home. I didn’t realize the walk here was so arduous.” Hiram was referring to her consistent panting.

Waving a hand as if brushing it off, she offered a small smile. “No it’s not, don-don’t worry.” Despite her words, she was still gulping in air. 

Hiram gave a look to Finn who was beside her. “Finn, bring us something to drink, then come on in and have a seat.”

The blonde boy gave a thumbs up. “Ya!”

Betty tried to steady her breathing. “..a drink sounds great, thank you.”

She soon found herself walking into a nearby room. It was rather big, so she presumed it was his office. It had many book shelves, two couches, and a table with chairs on either ends. Taking a step in, she took off her jacket and set it into her arms.

Looking around curiously, she noticed a photo of a vibrant woman standing in the middle of a meadow on his desk. It was in a beautiful frame, angled perfectly. Huh. She would have never expected a man like him to have a woman’s photograph on his desk. He came off as a really stern person, and something about his voice sounds like he’s always angry.

Loosing herself into the pit of overthinking, her mind went to work. Is that why she was here? Was she here for him to scold her for being hopelessly incompetent?

Finn nudged her with a brown tray. “Betty? What’s the matter? Do you feel sick? Hy _is_ a doctor.”

Betty shook her head with a nervous laugh. “No, no, I’m fine, I swear.”

His smile returned again as he handed one of the tea cups from his tray to her. “Okay, then why don’t we go ahead and sit down?”

Hiram came from behind once they had both settled down, standing behind Finn. The child had found comfort on the couch, clutching a small yellow pillow. 

Hiram had a long white blazer on, below that a suit with dress pants. It seemed that he enjoyed dressing proper.

Breaking the silence, the blonde sipped her tea before speaking. “So, you’re a doctor. Do you work at a hospital? Did you have to take time out to meet with me here?”

Putting his hands into his pockets, Hiram shook his head. “No, I don’t treat anyone outside of the Sohma clan. I’m the family doctor. Though half my job is babysitting it’s head. Constantly getting sick is Hermione’s specialty.” 

Finn’s voice was cheerful as always. “Plus, all the Sohmas are busy today. So, nobody will stop by for an exam. ‘Zer getting ready New Years! That’s a big event here for us. Outside people will pitch in to help with the preparations too, not just inside ‘vunes.”

She didn’t exactly understand what he was talking about. “Outside.. inside?”

“Yup! The members of the main family are on ‘da inside. ‘Member the tree-line road? The one that leads to the front gate? We call the residents at ‘dat area outside people. I ‘sink there are about.. einhundert.. a hundred of ‘dem. There are another fifty living on the inside.. and all one hundred fifty of us are Sohmas!”

She had not expected there to be _that_ many. “Oh, that’s a lot of people..”

Finn nodded, continuing with his explanation. “The only people that can live on the inside are zodiac members like us, or people who know our secret. Sweetpea and Jughead are gone now, but they used to live here too! Archie is outside, though.”

Hiram moved from behind Finn to sit in his office chair behind Betty. “I don’t know how skilled you are at math, but that means even within the Sohma family, a full two-thirds aren’t aware of our secret. So perhaps you can see how outrageous it is for a complete stranger like you to know it. Ordinarily I would have wiped your memory as soon as you learned about it, but Hermione hasn’t given me the order to.. for whatever reason. Tell me, do you enjoy living at Sweetpea’s house?”

She dropped the fingers that had been fiddling with the ribbon in her hair. She brightened at the thought. “Yes, I really do.”

Hiram turned his head towards hers, those piercing blue eyes boring into hers. “I recommend moving out immediately. Stay away from the Sohmas from now on. You seem to think our possessed family is fascinating, maybe even delightful.. but it’s not. We’re monstrous, loathsome, cursed. So listen when I tell you, leave before you regret every associating with the Sohmas. Make no mistake, Hermione is trying to use you.” 

Finn squeezed his pillow harder, looking down. His blonde bangs covered his face so she couldn’t see his expression, but she could tell just from his posture he was saddened by Hiram’s words.

The doorbell stopped any further conversation between Hiram and Betty. “Wait here for a moment.” He got up from his chair and exited the room, starting to walk towards the entrance of the house.

Curse? What was the curse?

Finn waited until he was completely out of earshot before vocalizing his thoughts. “You should know, Hy is almost entirely blind is his left eye. He used to have a girlfriend, her name was Kana. She was _really_ nice. They were even going to get married.. but Hermione got angry. So so angry. She said they weren’t allowed to get married. She lashed out, and injured Hiram’s eye. You know what? Hy never blamed Hermione. As for Kana, she blamed herself. She said it was her fault he got hurt. She felt so guilty.. she became depressed, like she’d never be happy again. F-Finally, Hy decided to erase Kana’s memories. He couldn’t stand to watch her fall apart anymore. Kana left the estate. Hy cried when she went. Even then, he didn’t blame Hermione.”

Betty’s voice shook a little. “Why not?”

Finn let out a breath. “..because, that’s the curse. Hy doesn’t want to see anymore people end up like Kana. He doesn’t want you to get hurt by the curse like she did.”

Betty fell to her knees on the carpet, hand clutching her yellow skirt. 

Finn, who had since moved on the porch, turned around. His eyes widened and he hurried over to her. “Betty! Are you crying? I didn’t mean to make you upset. Are you okay?”  


Shaking her head, she held back the tears that had come up to the surface. Forcing them back down, she got the courage to speak to her new blonde friend. “It’s not that. It’s just.. Hiram is so kind for worrying about me.”

Hiram opened the door from behind quietly, but only a sliver. He looked through one eye at the situation. He could make out Finn rubbing Betty’s back as she spoke and could hear her words.

“..I’m glad I-I met all of you. Even if Hiram is right, and I’m being used for some.. reason.. I can only feel grateful for it. I know I’ll never regret meeting Sohma.. and Archie.. and Sweetpea. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be who I am now.”

Finn’s voice was small. “..and me too?”

Betty looked up. “H-Huh?”

Almost insecure, Finn closed in on himself. “..and me? Are you glad you met me, too?”

Her features became lighter and she offered him a small, but warm smile. “O-Of course I am.”

Looking back up, Finn’s eyes were equally warm as he smiled back at the other blonde.

“Don’t look so gloom you two. I promise we aren’t using Betty.” This voice wasn’t Hiram’s or Finn’s, but instead it was Sweetpea. He had behind the door too.

Finn and Betty’s voices were in unison. “Sweetpea!”

Sweetpea opened the door more and stepped into the office. “Doc Hiram here can be a bit mellow dramatic. It’s a character flaw.”

Betty stood back up, rubbing her hands on her skirt. “What are you doing here, Sweetpea?”

The dog spirit made a “v” shape with his hand and then put it under his chin. “My gut! It told me, Betty. It’s a novelist thing. I have a keen sixth sense.” His eyes practically sparkled.

Hiram looked off to the side. “Clearly a lie. You only came to check on the New Year’s preparations.”

Sweetpea dropped his hand. “Ah, the common folk are so quick to envy geniuses. Tragic, really.”

As their banter continued, Finn turned to Betty. “Believe it or not, they’re actually best friends.”

“Honestly, with all the worrying you do it’s a miracle you aren’t bald yet. I keep telling you Hermione doesn’t mean any harm to Betty, but you refuse to believe me, and now you’ve gone and scared the poor girl. What if she actually moves out?”

Hiram’s eyes turned to Betty as she came to stand next to him. “Please, it’s okay, really. Just knowing you were concerned about me means a lot, thank you.. but I am going to stay where I am for now.”

Hiram pulled out the camera he used to capture the picture of the two Sohma cousins yesterday. “Very well. Be sure to take this with you. It’s the camera from the culture festival.” He dropped it into her hands.

Obviously confused, she looked up at the doctor. “Why give it to me?”  


Hiram made it seem like it should have been clear as day. “Our deal. Have you forgotten it already? I told you that if you came here, I would surrender the camera to you.”

_“If you don’t show up, I trust you know what’ll happen.”_

That was not what he said at all. She guessed both Hiram and Sweetpea were both ‘my way or the highway’ types of people.

“One more thing. I haven’t introduced you to Hermione.” Hiram added, tucking both his hands into his pockets again.

After hearing the story that Finn had told her, she’d probably faint if she saw Hermione. “Oh, that’s okay.. I don’t mind. I was wondering, though, you’re a member of the zodiac too, right? Which of the spirits of you?”

Sweetpea burst out laughing. “Now, that’s an excellent question, and the answer is hilarious!”

Before he could spill it though, Hiram moved behind him and whispered roughly. “I’ll call your publisher and tell them every embarrassing thing you’ve done since you were four.”

Sweetpea held up a hand in surrender. “Right. Lips sealed.”

Hiram turned back around to the blonde. “I.. apologize for today. All I did was make you upset. I’m sorry.”

—

The four of them were standing outside of Hiram’s home after they finished their business inside.

Sweetpea spoke up first. “I’ll stay a bit. I still need to check out the celebration set-up.”

Finn popped up with a grin. “I’ve got a dance rehearsal to get to!”

The dog spirit moved his attention to the doctor. “Now, Hiram, you behave yourself around young Betty.”

Rolling his eyes, Hiram started walking the opposite direction. “Let’s go.”

As Betty followed him, Finn ran up and stopped a couple steps away from Betty. “Tschüss für heute!”

She still didn’t understand what he was saying but she assumed it was some sort of way of saying goodbye. “See you later!” the blonde chimed gleefully. That child always knew how to put anyone in a good mood.

As Betty and Hiram walked, a comfortable silence settled between them. However, Betty was constantly asking questions and she wouldn’t miss out this time. “So.. is it true that you’re best friends? You and Sweetpea?”  


Hiram seemed turned off by that idea. “Us? Best friends? I’m stuck with him.. that’s all.”

Maybe he just didn’t want to talk about Sweetpea.

“Hey, watch your step.” He warned, but it was too late. Her foot slipped on a concrete step and she fell straight into Hiram, knocking both of them to the ground. From their collision, a cloud of purple smoke erupted.

Dazed for a second, she moved around the smoke until she found her bearings. “Oh no! Are you okay Hiram? I-” Hiram was no longer there, instead in his place was a tiny, yellow seahorse. The seahorse slightly squirmed.

Eyes widening, she wrapped up his clothes around the seahorse quickly. “Ah! What am I supposed to do? Water! Water! Wait, hold on, which kind of water does he need? Freshwater or saltwater?” She started to frantically run to the nearest water source.

This brought back memories for Hiram. Betty Cooper wasn’t the first person to react this way.

…

_“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Kana Sohma, and I’ll work very hard to be a good assistant for you.” She tucked her hands behind her back._

_Hiram was busy writing down something on his desk. “Right.”_

_Kana started walking towards the open window. “I’ve always found it weird how we’ve never spoken to each other even though we’re in the same clan. Hmm, you may have heard this before, but you’re quite the popular guy on the outside.”_

_Hiram straighten his papers. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”_

_Kana’s face blossomed with a smile as she looked outside. “It’s snowing! I thought we’d get snow. Hey, I’ve got a question for you. What comes after snow when it melts?”_

_Hiram watched her with a little bit of interest. “The answer to that is obviously water.”_

_Kana giggled. “Errrr! The answer is spring comes. Spring is my favorite season.” She turned back to her new boss, smiling brightly._

She was his spring. His new season. Somewhere along the lines, trapped in his dark cage, he’d frozen. He was snow, but then Kana came into his life. She was a fresh, bright spring. 

_The two watched the waves tickle the sand and then retreat. Kana played with the water, a laughing mess by the time she was done. Hiram watched from the sidelines, a content smile on his face._

He fell in love like it was the only logical thing to do.

_Kana jogged back over to him, putting two hands on his chest. The sunset glistened behind them, making the scene absolutely breathtaking. The seagulls flapped over them, wishing them good omens. Kana couldn’t have thought of a more perfect time to kiss him._

_Leaning in, she closed her eyes only to be met with nothing. Hiram had turned away from her, walking farther down the beach._

..and then, she found out.

_Kana bent down over his clothes, staring at his new body. She started to panic. “What do I do? Water! Wait, hold on which kind does he need? Freshwater or saltwater? Hiram!” She quickly bunched him up in his clothes, rushing to his bathtub and filling up the tub._

_Soon she was drying off his hair, slightly smiling to herself at her own stupidity._

_“For future reference, putting a real sea horse or real sea dragon in the bath like that would kill it.”_

_Kana laughed, putting down the now damp towel. “Got it, sorry,” her face became a little softer as her eyes met with his. “..but this does answer one question for me. You’ve never held me in your arms before, and now I know why. It makes sense. This must be pretty scary, huh? Of course you wouldn’t want people to know. Of course you’d keep them at a distance.”_

_The brunette put a hand on his cheek, letting their foreheads touch. “Especially someone you love, but please.. don’t reject me for knowing. I’m glad I met you, that hasn’t changed,” her eyes became watery as she stared into his eyes. Usually they were guarded, cloudy, maybe intimidating. However, to Kana, they were comforting. “Loving you has made me so happy. I want to be with you.”_

_The intensity of her words made tears form at Hiram’s eyes, and soon he felt the droplets dripping down his face._

He wept. For the first time in his life, he felt somehow forgiven. Somehow saved. Like a river of snow melted by the first breath of spring, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. 

For almost two months, life was like a dream. Kana had said it was as if he was condensing a lifetime of happiness into a handful of weeks. 

..but then, they begged Hermione to allow them to marry.

** (TRIGGER WARNING: BLOOD, VIOLENCE.) **

_The two kneeled before her, their heads placed down on the floor. Mirrors all around the room tripled their movements._

_Lifting her head once she was done kneeling, Kana was met with Hermione’s enraged features. Hermione grabbed her by the shirt, and another hand yanked her hair. Her eyes were dead shot, orbs completely burning. “You think I’ll give him to someone like you!” She yelled._

_Sweetpea came around the corner, his normally happy features turned frightened. “Wait! Just calm down!”_

_Hiram managed to pry away the two, but not before Hermione ripped out a chunk of Kana’s hair, sending her flying into Sweetpea’s hands. “You can’t even lift the curse!” Hermione shrieked. “You’re not wanted! We don’t need you!” Grabbing ahold of Hiram’s shirt, she thrust him into one of the mirrors._

_His eye landed straight on a broken shard and he fell to the floor in a pool of blood. Glass shards scattered across the floor as he descended, clutching his injury with a loud grunt of pain._

_Pushing herself away from Sweetpea, Kana collapsed next to her lover. “Hiram!” She cried, reaching a hand to touch his wound. Hiram clamped a hand over his eye, his palm becoming stained from the amount of crimson liquid coming out. Tears started to flow from her eyes as she watched him try to cover it up._

_Hermione attempted to go for more but Sweetpea held her back with force, managing to keep her at bay. That didn’t stop her words from tumbling out of her mouth, though. “You’re the one to blame! It’s your fault if Hiram goes blind, you hear me?” She screamed, fighting against Sweetpea desperately._

_Hiram released the hand covering his eye from the pain, accidentally giving Kana a clear view. Kana’s face grew even dimmer and it seemed that something inside her completely switched off._

_“This is all your fault! This is all your fault! This is all your fault!” Hermione screeched._

_Kana’s hands began to shake as her pupils dilated, her entire body shaking._

_  
  
“All your fault! All your fault!”_

Kana fell ill. No matter what he said, or what he did, the crying never stopped. She grew more and more sick. Her heart was suffering, her mind too.

_Kneeling once again in front of Hermione, he had coming seeking advice._

_“Isn’t this an exact situation where your little memory trick would come in handy? Wipe the slate clean for her. What’s stopping you now? You’ve never been shy before. The poor girl is only suffering because she remembers her time with you. Her love for you.”_

_The woman walked over to Hiram, taking his tie and pulling it. She brought her mouth to his ear. “Don’t you owe her this much at least? To save her from that agony. What she really wants, deep down, is to be set free from your love. Give her that freedom. Let her forget.”_

Hiram did what he thought was best.

_Kneeling below him, Kana reached a hand to him. “This never would have happened if only.. we never met.”_

Did he just get what he deserved? Was this his punishment for blindly following orders? For stripping away people’s memories, regardless of how much pain it caused? Even so, he’d never imagined he’d have to erase with his own hands the memories most precious to him.

_Hiram kneeled too, laying his hand on his lover’s head._

_“I’m so sorry. It’s my fault,” she put a hand over his bandages, in which covered his now blind left eye. “I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Hiram.” She sobbed, tears dropping down onto the snow below them._

_Hiram’s own tears gathered at his eyes, but he refused. He wouldn’t let her feel pain anymore. Clenching his eyes shut, he willed himself to let the deed be done._

Kana’s memory of him had been wiped.

_She fell back down onto the snow, completely unaware. She was unconscious for the time being._

_“I’m the one who owes you an apology. I’m the one who failed to protect.. you. Thank you for everything, Kana. It’s alright now. It’s over. You don’t have to suffer anymore,” He stood up, staring down at her. He moved his gaze up to the sky after a few seconds. “Please let her meet someone better than me. Someone who can give her the happiness she deserves. I’ll do anything. I’ll be snow in a world without spring. Frozen.. until the day I die.”_

_…_

“Hiram! Hiram! Can you hear me?” Betty called up from above him, obviously worried. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

Hiram looked over at her for a moment before looking at his surroundings. His blazer had been put over his body and it was mid evening now. The sun would set soon. He noticed Betty had set him down on a bench. “I’m freezing..”

The blonde looked away instantly once he started to get up. “That’s because under your coat, you’re uh.. kinda..” she didn’t finish her sentence.

He sat up, slipping on his white long-sleeved shirt. “So you saw?”  


Betty blushed and shook her head. “No! I didn’t look! I promise!”

He straightened his collar. “You saw my zodiac form?” he corrected.

Betty stood up. “Oh, uh.. yeah.”

Hiram put a hand over his face, obviously having a physiological complex. He let out a long sigh.

“I don’t think it’s weird or anything! I think it’s great! Of course there’s a surprise factor, I mean who doesn’t love a good surprise?” the blonde said quickly to make amends. She picked up his shoes and passed them to him. Something seemed to grab her attention though as she ran over to the dock. “Do you see that? It’s snowing! No wonder you were feeling so cold earlier.”

Small snowflakes began to fall from the sky, some landing on his clothes and others in Betty’s hair. Standing up, he moved next to her. 

_Yes. Please. Let her be happy. He’d be the snow. Frozen until the day he died, just.. please._

The blonde turned to him. “Hiram? You look sad. Is something the matter?”

Closing his eyes for a second and reopening them, he nodded. “I’m fine. Tell me, what do you suppose comes of snow when it melts?”

Bringing a finger to her chin, she looked back out to the dock. “Huh. Let me think for a second. Hmm. Oh! When snow melts, spring comes! No matter how cold it is now, spring will come again. It never fails. Pretty mysterious, huh?” Betty smiled, looking back up at him. 

His eyes met hers and he realized that she was similar to Kana. His eyes crinkled at the thought. Betty wasn’t a normal girl, he had been wrong. She had a beautiful soul, just like Kana had. This time, though, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes with this new purity. “Yes, yes it is.”

—

Hiram and Betty had finally made it to the entrance of the Sohma estate. Sweetpea was there to meet them and he smirked at them as he neared. “You’re still here? Slowpokes.” he teased, walking up to them.

“Sweetpea!”

The dog spirit moved to stand next to Betty. “Now doctor, you haven’t been behaving improperly now have you?”

Hiram moved past the two, starting the walk back to his house. “See you.”

Betty waved even though he was facing away from her. “Thanks for inviting me over!”

Sweetpea looked down at her. “Poor Betty. It was pretty rude of him to summon you here like this, but he’s not as much of a jerk as he seems.”

Betty fixed the ribbon in her hair. “Not at all! He was very kind to me.”

Sweetpea started to walk away. “Well, let’s get home. All this New Year preparation has me famished.”  


The blonde didn’t follow him for a second, instead watching a long black car that sped past her. In those seconds, the world slowed down for a little. She could see a woman with long brown hair in the backseat. Their eyes met for a brief second before the car raced away.

The dog spirit was still walking. “Speaking of, what are we having for dinner?”

“Sweetpea.”

He didn’t expect her serious tone of voice as he turned around. “Hm?”

“Will you.. tell me about the curse?”

Sweetpea’s features became more tense. 

“Sorry, it just seems I should be doing something to help.”

His face relaxed after a moment. “..and you are, just by being yourself. For now, though, I don’t think I should tell you anymore. I’m sorry.”

—

After today, she felt like she understood more about the Sohmas.. but she also felt like she didn’t understand anything. It was strange feeling from both ends of the spectrum.

Whatever it was, she was glad to be home as she walked into the living room. She could see Jughead draped over the table, fast asleep. Archie was asleep too, under the table, snoring away.

Anyway, whatever she knew or didn’t know, nothing changes how much she wanted to cherish what she had now. 

..and she would, the best she could.


	8. New Year's Sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love triangle more hinted at hereee!
> 
> really enjoyed writing this chapter, it was so much fun. i hoped there would be some more insight on how jug and arch feel about betty at the moment and here i am writing it!
> 
> soo yeaahh.
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

(UNIQUE TO THIS CHAPTER AND THIS CHAPTER ONLY, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

WHEN LETTERS ARE UNDERLINED LIKE THIS, THESE ARE ARCHIE’S THOUGHTS.

_WHEN LETTERS ARE SLANTED LIKE THIS, THESE ARE JUGHEAD’S THOUGHTS._

_WHEN LETTERS ARE SLANTED AND UNDERLINED LIKE THIS, THESE ARE BOTH THEIR THOUGHTS. )_

—

“Man, it’s freezing.” Cheryl pulled her coat closer to her body, tucking both her hands into the warm pockets. Winter had really started to settle upon them, and the weather was changing with it.

Cheryl, Betty, and Toni had gone to the local shop to pick up some things. Betty had gone to get ingredients for a New Year’s meal, Toni had bought a wreath for the event, and Cheryl simply tagged along.

Taking a good look at her wreath on their way home, Toni thought back to the beginning of the year and the present. “I can’t believe so much has changed this year.”

The blonde nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I know what you mean.” It felt like only yesterday she’d been living in that tiny tent.

Cheryl looked over to her friend with interest. “Betty, are you staying over at your grandpa’s for the holiday?”

Betty looked at her for a second before looking at the road ahead of them. “Well, that was what I was planning to do, but it turns out he and the family are going to Hawaii.”

The redhead imagined her feeble grandpa dancing with a lei on the beach. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Apparently they had some money left over from the renovations. I’m happy for them.”

Cheryl didn’t have the same reaction. “Do they think they’re too good to watch specials on TV like the rest of us?”

Toni butted into the conversation. “Does that mean you’ll be staying at Sweetpea’s house, then?”

Looking down with embarrassment, Betty shrugged. “Um.. I’m still working up the courage to ask him.”

  
  


Alarmed, Cheryl turned her head around to her. “Hold up. So you have no idea where you’re actually gonna be during the holiday?”

“Nope. No clue.” The blonde giggled, switching the weight of the groceries between either hand.

Trying to think of a solution, Cheryl’s mind immediately found one. “Just come to my place then. It’s small, but we’ll fit. I promise it won’t be boring at least.”

Toni offered her a smile. “You’re more than welcome at my home too, of course.”

Speeding up her steps and then stopping in front of then, she shook her head. “Oh no! I wouldn’t dream of imposing on you two for the entire winter break.”

The pair stopped too. “If you don’t want to stay at either one of our places, we can always grab your tent and go on a little New Year’s trip.” Cheryl supplied with an arched eyebrow.  


  
Toni actually seemed excited by the idea. “Ah yes, camping out in nature for the holiday does have a certain appeal to it..”

Dismissing their ideas, Betty shook her head again. “I’ll be fine! Spend some quality time with your families during the break.”  


  
  


Cheryl gave her a skeptical look. “Hm.”

Not wanting to be a burden any longer, she started to skip further down the street quickly. “Oh! It’s getting late! I really should start getting home! See you guys soon!” She called as she rounded the corner.

The pink-haired girl licked her lips. “I sense great agitation.”

Cheryl gave her a confused look. 

She let out a breath, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “..in her waves.”

—

Archie and Jughead were busy fixing the doors they had broken the other day brawling when Betty started cleaning the deck, humming to herself as she did so.

Archie picked up one part of the door, lifting it up. He noticed a hole and let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Why do we even have to bother replacing these stupid things? Nobody is going to care about a tiny hole or two.”  


Jughead continued painting over some of the chipped parts. “Shut up and work. It’s your fault they’re beaten up in the first place.”

The redhead glared at him. “Why are we related..”

While sweeping, her humming was becoming increasingly louder. It caught Archie’s attention and he noticed the smile that seemed permanent on her face. “Are you really having that much fun cleaning the deck?”

Wiping her forehead, Betty laughed. “Actually, yeah. Tidying up things is my specialty, and it’s calming. With you two here, it’s even better.”

Jughead looked up from his task to watch her continue sweeping contently, humming a peaceful tune. He really didn’t think that Betty Cooper experienced the world the way other people did. She accepted how they changed into animals like it was no big deal. She even seemed excited about it. Her life had also been much harder than most people her age. Yet, she’s always smiling, acting like everything was fine. They’d lived together for four months, and he still didn’t fully understand her. 

Sweetpea’s loud grumbling brought him from his thoughts as he trudged into the room with two large bags of books. “Ugh, my poor back. Why do books have to be so heavy? I hate that I have to get rid of these, but I’ll just get yelled at if I ship it to the Main House.”

The Main House wasn’t just one house. It was for the true inner circle of the Sohma family. It was a collection of about ten houses, all connected by wooden bridges to each estate. It was where their New Years always took place.

Betty leaned the broom on a nearby pole, walking up to the older man. He was young judging by his looks, maybe in his mid-twenties, but he looked pretty young. Betty still thought of him as more of a father figure. “Uh, Sweetpea?”

Straightening his back, he gave her his attention by looking over at her expectantly. “Hmm?”

Putting her hands in front of her, she bowed a little. “I know it’s terrible to ask this after you’ve already done so much.. but the thing is my grandfather contacted me and it seems the family is going to Hawaii for the holiday. So, would it possibly be okay if I stayed here in your house for New Years?”

The dog spirit gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course, but is there some other place you’d rather be?”

—

Once dinner rolled around, the Sohma cousins seemed to have a lot to say.

“I’m staying here too.” Jughead and Archie said in unison as they ate.

Archie shoved a piece of salmon into his mouth. “I haven’t been home in four months, why should I break my streak just because a new year is starting up?”

Opening his chop sticks, the rat spirit picked up a bowl of rice. “If I show up for the banquet now, what was the point of me leaving?”

Sweetpea had a look of despair. “Yeah, but uh, please make an appearance or else you’re going to upset-”

The boys were in unison yet again. “No, we’re not going.”

Rubbing his neck, Sweetpea could already feel the taste of the clan’s disapproval. “Oh, this is going to be a pain..”  


Betty came from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of salad and laying it down onto the table. “Is everything okay? It sounds like everyone is unhappy about something but I can’t figure out what.”

The dog spirit wiped his eyes dramatically. “Listen to have unreasonable they’re being. These fools refuse to go to the Main House for New Years and I’m sure I’ll be yelled at!”

Irritated, Archie rolled his eyes. “Stop acting like a toddler, don’t you have any sense of self respect?”

Sitting down at the table, Betty didn’t seem to quite understand the entire ordeal. “..but why aren’t you going home? Finn told me that New Years is a really important holiday for the Sohmas.”

“You’re right about that. It’s the biggest event of the year for our family. The whole entire clan gathers for the celebration. The most exquisite part? The exclusive zodiac banquet. It is quite the affair, I assure you. A few years back, Jughead graced us with a dance that was the personification for beauty.” Sweetpea reconciled.

Jughead threw three pieces of salmon directly at his face with a scowl. “When will you learn to keep your mouth shut?”

“One day..” the older man sighed.

Betty put down the utensil she had in her hand. “This banquet sounds incredible, and it’s a lot like the one mentioned in the old folktale.” 

Archie picked at his rice. “You have no idea how right you are. Cats don’t get to go, so I have nothing to do with the banquet.”

Her eyes became wide. “That’s so sad. Why not?”

Sweetpea answered the question for her. “It’s standard tradition that no little kittens can attend, which means we keep close to the spirit of the old story at least.”

Frowning, Betty looked rather sad. It was one thing for it to be the original story, but another to actually kick out the cat in present time. “How awful..”

Archie looked over at Betty with puzzlement. “I’m the one who can’t go, why are you so sad about it? Besides, the banquet isn’t the reason why I decided not to visit the Main House.”

Sweetpea smirked. “Oh no, it’s because poor Veronica would likely smother him with admiration.”

The redhead practically had his cat ears poking up as he turned to the dog spirit. “Shut up!” he snapped, eyes narrowed.

“There are other reasons. If we did return, we’d be expected to stay until January third. In that case, you’d be alone in this house the whole time Miss Cooper.” Jughead explained, setting down his bowl.

She only smiled. “Thanks for thinking of me, but I would be perfectly fine here on my own. If it’s such a big holiday for your family, you should go and have fun with them. It’ll be your first time visiting your parents in a while, right? I’m sure they look forward to seeing you, you don’t want to disappoint them,” Standing up, the blonde seemed determined. “Don’t worry about me! I’ll take care of the house while you’re away. I’ll clean, and water the plants.. water the.. Oh no! I left the bath water running!” She rushed away from the table in slight panic.

Sweetpea’s eyes followed her as she left. “You’ve totally set my mind at ease, Betty.”

Jughead looked down. “Fine then..” How could he deny her now? Especially after everything she’d already done for them. The blonde would never get to experience New Years with her entire family again—and here he was complaining about them?

Archie nodded. “I guess that settles it.” For whatever reason, whenever Betty explained things it made all the more sense. Betty’s words always seemed to have an affect on him that other people’s didn’t.

The mouse spirit felt obligated to visit his family now. “I’ll go.” He finalized, putting both his palms down on the table. 

“Have to after that speech..” The cat spirit drawled, shoving a piece piece of salmon into his mouth.

Jughead’s mind went back to her words. 

_“It’ll be your first time visiting your parents in a while, right?”_

The brunette let out a long breath to calm his nerves. “She’s never going to see her parents again.” The least he could do we visit his while they were still here. 

Archie added on. “..no matter how much she wants to.” It weirded Archie out still how she managed to present such a bright smile to them everyday, considering how much she’d already went through.

“I guess I can learn to put up with Hermione.. if I must.”

“I can handle Veronica in small doses.. if I must.”

As they spoke, Sweetpea’s mind was at work. As far as these two were concerned, Betty’s words were the law around here. 

Jughead was still speaking. “If she says she’ll be fine, shouldn’t we trust her?”

Archie swallowed. “Yeah. New Years is always the same anyway, we just have to suck it up and get through it.”

—

The night had passed, and the next day was well upon them. It was mid-evening when the three Sohma men were about to part ways with Betty.

“All set? Make sure you don’t lose eachother.” The blonde reminded them gently, waiting at the front door with them. They were just getting on their shoes to leave.

Sweetpea opened the front door and slicked back his hair. “We’ll be fine. The streets will be empty. Most people will be watching TV.”

Jughead gave her a worried look. “Make sure you lock up. You should check the windows, too.”

Betty nodded. “Right. See you when you get back!” She said cheerfully. She was glad the three listened to her. She didn’t want to be holding them back here.

Sweetpea started to walk out the door, getting onto the dirt path. “Have a happy New Year!”

Betty waved them off, a timid smile on her face. “You guys too!”

Archie followed Sweetpea out, while Jughead stayed back to close the door. He hesitated for a second. _She’ll be okay, I’m sure._ With that implanted in his mind, he closed the door and caught up with the two.

—

As they made their way up the stairs to get on one of the roads, Archie spoke up. “You know, a few nights ago, she left her bedroom window wide open.”

Jughead glared at his cousin. “Are you a peeping tom now?” 

Archie merely scoffed. “Oh come on, get real. I saw it from the yard.”

The mouse spirit thought back to earlier. “She could really stand to be more observant. She fell down the stairs yesterday, too.”

The redhead couldn’t stop thinking about her being alone in the house and it was really starting to piss him off. “She’s the kind of girl that would run into a brick wall. Definitely the type that would die choking on her New Year’s mochi.”

Jughead gave him a disgusted look. “Why would you even imagine something so horrible?”

Once they made it up the stairs, Sweetpea let out an over-exaggerated sigh. “That’s enough.. you sound like a couple of new parents fretting over their child.”

Archie and Jughead stopped. “Huh?”

Sweetpea stopped in front of them. “Look, I know you two are worried about Betty being alone, but it was your decision to come to the estate.”  


The cat spirit bristled. “What are you talking about? I’m not worried! She’s just fine!” he hissed, raising a fist up to Sweetpea’s face.

Jughead pushed past them. “This is ridiculous. Keep walking.”

Archie and Jughead pushed ahead, Sweetpea following with small footsteps. “Oh, now that I think about it.. the paper said something about burglaries. There’s been a bunch in this area. I think the criminal is still on the loose..”

The two cousins visibly stiffened and their movements slowed.

Crap. She’s such an airhead, I bet she’d invite the burglar inside from the cold..

_She’ll probably even fluff his pillow and served him tea, while she let him tell her his life story._

Sweetpea watched from behind, clearly enjoying the stress he was putting them through. The burglar story had been a lie, but he wouldn’t admit that now. It was amusing to watch them fret over the poor girl. He liked this game. “Hey, come on, get a grip. If you stand around in the street like that-”

“You could be killed.”  


  
  


Sweetpea jumped back, eyes wide and arms flailing. It was Toni, dressed head to toe in black. She had a long cloak covering her entire body, finished with her iconic black bow around her neck. “Oh! Hi! I did not see you there.”

Does she always have to make a dramatic entrance?

_Where does one even buy a cloak like that?_

The dog spirit laughed nervously. “Fancy seeing you out here on the road.. we’re on our way home to spend time with the rest of the family.” Behind Toni, the sun was beginning to set.

Toni slowly nodded. “I see. So she’ll be utterly alone this year.”

Both Archie and Jughead’s eyes bulged.

“She’s never spent this holiday without her mother, and this time she won’t have anyone. Cheryl and I both offered to spend the break with her, but she just smiled that smile of hers and told us it was important to be with our families. Who’s looking out for her, though? Think about it. All the New Year’s specials, all the performers, they’re basically the exact same every year which must bring back memories. How will she feel this time seeing them without her mother?”

Jughead’s mind went back to her smiling face as they left. _What must she have felt when she watched us leave her behind?_

Toni looked down. “I wonder.. is she really okay with how this turned out? Will she end up being happy, or not?”

Archie too looked back on the memory of the door being shut on her.  Did we abandon her? How does she feel now?

Both the cousins teeth clenched and they ran forward in pursuit, but crashed into each other in the process. Knocking heads, they let out grunts of pain as they pulled apart. 

Sweetpea furrowed his eyebrows. “What are you bafoons doing?”

Archie clutched his head. “Go to the banquet! Your precious Hermione misses you.”

Turning towards him with an dirty look, Jughead ran a hand through his brown locks. “..and what about you? You’ll break your precious Veronica’s heart.”

They began walking down the stairs they had just gone up. “Screw you! You can take that insane girl for all I care.”

“..and you can take Hermione.”

“I’ll pass!”

Sweetpea watched them descend the stairs and took a step forward. “Wait, are you kidding me?Where are you two off to now?”

The two cousins were in unison yet again. “I’m going home.”

Archie walked faster. “Really? You too? Your dinner is waiting.”

  
“Shut up. I don’t care about that.”

“Yeah, yeah..”

The dog spirit looked down at Betty’s friend as they left. “Oh, I get it. You planned this. That whole speech was to trick them into going back for her.”

Toni shook her head. “It wasn’t a trick, not like you’re thinking. My only desire was to do something nice for Betty, and nothing more,” She turned away from him, heels clicking as she walked back down the road. “I wish you good waves in the New Year.”

Sweetpea merely blinked as she disappeared. “She’s a clever one.”

—

_We’ve lived together for four months, and I still don’t fully understand her._

I missed it. I couldn’t see the truth. She always seems like she’s so carefree. 

_She gives an earnest smile, to even the smallest things.. and she always says what you want to hear most._

His mind went back to the day they spent defending the ‘secret base’ from the typhoon. 

_“This may sound strange, but your kindness reminds me of a candle. It can light up the darkness.”_

The moments they spent together began to roll in his head. 

_“Though I do have one request. If I forget you, please befriend me again.”_

Archie shared the same thought process. He just couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her.

“ _I have always loved the zodiac cat! I’m confusing you. What I mean is.. I want us to be friends!”_

_“So trust me when I say, I can see it. You have a plum on your back, I swear it’s true.”_

The two stopped walking, and instead broke out in a run towards their house. They sprinted home like their lives depended on it, their feet clashing loudly with the concrete below them. They needed to be home as fast as possible.

_Why couldn’t I see it?_

Why couldn’t I see it?

“ _Sohma, Archie, Sweetpea. I wanted all of us to stay together. Learning about each other. I wanted it so much.”_

There’s no way she’s fine. She doesn’t want to be alone.

_I should have known she wouldn’t want to be by herself._

_“I want.. to go home. E-Even if it is selfish. That’s what I want, to be with all of you.”_

I want to go home.

_I want to go home._

_I want to go home._

“Right now!” They yanked open the back patio door, heaving as they took in the scene before them. Betty had sat herself down at the main table, a small candle burning next to her mother’s picture she had set up. Tears were running down her face, wetting her cheeks. She turned around in shock at the sudden intrusion, taking a moment to realize who they were.

“Oh my gosh! You scared me! What happened? What are you doing?”

Archie put his hands on his knees, panting hard. Jughead shakily made his way over to Betty, taking a finger and wiping away her tears. 

Eyes widening, she quickly explained. “No! Don’t worry! I can explain! Oh, I was cutting onions, yeah, that’s it. You know, it’s that time of year where you can’t help but be moved by the songs people sing and happy people that are on TV and stuff..”

Jughead collapsed to the floor, Archie following him as he cascaded onto the carpet below. They wheezed, clutching their chests.

Betty let out a load squeal. “What’s happening? A-Are you two okay?”

_Thank goodness. If we hadn’t realized in time.._

..we almost let her cry through the New Year alone.

Betty got down onto her knees, clearly concerned. “Hello?”

Jughead seemed to be getting a little better. “We’re fine.. just excited.. to watch the morning sunrise..” He panted.

Archie weakly nodded. “Yeah.. that’s right..”

After recovering from their long sprint, the two looked up at her from the ground. Jughead had a small smile on his face as he stared at her, simply glad to be in her presence. Archie’s eyes told the story his facial features didn’t. They held relief.. and something else Betty couldn’t decipher. “We’re home.” The two said together.

Betty’s heart pounded, a piece of it being touched by their words. Another tear slipped out, dripping down her face. The familiar sense of warmth filled her stomach. “Welcome home.” She said fondly, wiping away her tears quickly and forming a smile on her face.

—

“Honey! I’m home!” Sweetpea said jokingly as he entered the Main House, in which he was greeted with Hiram and Bret Weston Wallis.

Bret came first. “It’s about time. You’re the last one to arrive.” 

Sweetpea smirked, stepping up to them. “Ah, if it isn’t my two favorite hubbas.”

Hiram simply stared at him. “We have actual names you know.”

The dog spirit folded his arm over his chest. “You’ll learn to have fun someday,” he turned back to Bret. “Hey, long time no see. How have you been?”

The blonde looked behind him expectantly. “Yeah. Where are the others?” He asked, not seeing the tufts of red and brown hair behind him.

Sweetpea walked farther in front of the two. “Well.. not to make a big deal of it or anything, but.. they’re skipping?” He offered feebly, an awkward grin on his face.

Hiram repeated his words. “They’re skipping.”

Bret put two fingers between his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I can already feel the heat of Veronica’s fiery rage, which is nothing compared to the bone-chilling horror of Hermione’s quiet fury.”

Soon the three of them were walking on the covered bridges towards the ceremony. 

“So, what do we do?” Hiram asked, not being able to think of a useful solution.

Sweetpea remained calm. “Relax. I can handle Hermione myself.”

Bret followed closely behind the dog spirit. “Sheesh, and here I was, looking forward to my last fight of the year.”

Sweetpea’s face beaded with sweat. “Calm down, don’t you go breaking houses too.”

The blonde looked off to the distance. “I guess. I can see why they’d want to skip though. It’s easier, running from pain instead of facing it.”

Sweetpea shook his head. “You’re wrong there. I don’t think this was about running away at all, or at least not entirely.”

Finn burst toward them, a flurry of orange, yellow and white. He had on an eye-catching costume for the event. “There you are! The banquet is about to start!”

The dog spirit offered him a small smile. “Oh! Finn, I’m looking forward to your dance.”

“Danken!”

Bret looked worn out already. “There’s something we have to deal with first. Who knows how Hermione will react to those two _skipping._ ”

Finn’s smile faded. “Wait, who’s skipping what? Is someone not coming to the banquet? Who? Who?”

—

Sweetpea let out a breath before sliding open the door to Hermione’s room. The room was dark aside from the moonlight coming from the window. Hermione was draped on the floor, curled in on herself as she buried her head into her arms. 

“Good evening.” He greeted.

_ It was a pleasure to watch her weeping what she sewed. _

—

In celebration, Betty had put the New Year’s meal ingredients she bought to use. She made the iconic New Years noddles and mochi on the side. She made each of them a bowl and had just sat down to eat her own portion.

Taking her chopsticks and picking up one of the mochis, she bit into it and became hyperaware of two pairs of eyes staring intently at her. Gulping it down, she looked at Archie with confusion. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me that way?”

The redhead pointed his chopsticks at her. “I need you to eat slower.”

That only made her more confused. “Hm? I’m pretty sure I’m eating at a normal rate of speed..”

Jughead added on. “Mochi is best when you take time to savor it. Just make sure you’re chewing it well.”

Betty looked between the two of them. “You too? What is up with you guys?”

Did people really choke on mochi that often or were they just paranoid?

The sound of the phone ringing grabbed her attention. Putting down her bowl, she stood up and began walking towards the sound. “Huh. That’s weird. I wonder who’s calling so late.”

Archie looked annoyed. “Whoever it is, they’ve got pretty crap manners.”

Jughead looked more unnerved than annoyed. “What if it’s someone from the estate?”

Archie choked on a noddle, spitting it out.  Don’t tell me Veronica caused some kind of emergency..

_Did Hermione fly into a frenzy?_

If they were paranoid before, it seemed to triple. They both rushed over to the phone, hiding behind the the refrigerator so they could hear Betty’s conversation with the other line.

Betty picked up the phone and brought it to her ear. “Hello! May I ask who’s calling?”

“Hey Betty, it’s me.” The voice belonged to Cheryl.

“Oh, hey Cheryl. Why are you calling so late? Is everything okay? Wait! Please don’t tell me you ended up choking on your mochi!”

Cheryl’s laugh could be heard. “Yeah no. Only you would do that. Besides, if I was choking, how would I be calling you right now?”

Betty giggled. “You’ve got a good point. So, what’s the matter then?”

Cheryl wrapped the phone cord around one of her fingers. “Nothing! I’m just saying hello. I was worried you may be feeling a little lonely or something.”

Betty’s voice became softer. “Did you call to check in on me?”

“Well yeah. Toni said stuff about your waves being agitated or whatever,” Cheryl heard the sound of a beer can opening in the house. “Na-ah! Drop it right now, Dad! Our deal is that you got one beer in honor of the holiday!”

  
  


“Oh yeah.. I must have lost count..”

Cheryl flicked her hand at him. “Don’t play dumb with me! Trash the can!” Bringing the phone back to her ear, she laughed a little. “Jeez, hopeless geezer. I gotta go, but have a good New Year.”

“Thanks, and the same to you in your family.” She said thankfully, putting the phone back onto the receptor. 

Archie and Jughead rushed over to where they had been seated originally, trying to make it seem like they’d never moved. Betty joined them back at the table, oblivious. “That was just Cheryl. She was just checking in because she was worried about me for some reason.”

  
  


Jughead nodded. “Oh, I see.”

Archie turned away, resting his head on his palm. “..but that’s nice, isn’t it?”

Betty sat back down at the table, picking up her chopsticks again. “Of course.”

“Speaking about your friends, we saw Toni on the way to the Sohma estate. She was really concerned about you too, Miss Cooper.”

She’d have to make sure Toni was her first phone call of the New Year.

The blonde watched Jughead eat the noodles from his bowl. “So, um, are you sure it’s okay for you to miss the big banquet? I promise, I’m glad you’re here with me.. but I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

Jughead looked calm as he looked back at her. “No, it’s fine. We’ll be sure to wish them a happy New Year sometime.” _Probably._

After having a playful argument on who should wash the dishes, Betty insisted she do them since they had taken the time to come back for her. She took all three bowls and took them to the sink to begin.

_Right about now, the banquet should be in full swing._

I wonder how mad Veronica is.

_Hermione must be furious, but.._ Jughead looked up, hearing the familiar humming he heard just two days ago. 

Archie looked up too, sitting up so he could watch her more fully.  But..

The two of them watched her from behind, each memorized as they watched her perform even just a simple task. 

  
_They were home._

—

Betty climbed up the ladder, hands finding the shingles of the roof. She was shaky on her feet, but her eyes found Jughead’s hand. “Here. Please, be careful, Miss Cooper.” For whatever reason, when he said ‘Miss Cooper’ the realization that he’d never actually called her Betty hit her. It doubled when she also realized Archie had never called her Betty either. 

Taking the brunette’s hand, she slightly blushed as he helped her up onto the roof. Archie had already gotten up and was standing on the complete opposite side of the roof, watching the city from above. 

Letting go of his hands with a smile, she started to walk further on the roof. “Look you guys! The sun is coming up. Perfect. We made it.”

_I feel strangely at peace now, I don’t feel guilty either._

I had a lot of reasons for coming back, but if I’m being honest, deep down..

Betty moved to the center of the roof to make sure she’d get a good view of the sunrise. The blonde turned around, a vibrant smile on her face. “So are you guys ready? You only get one chance for a New Year’s wish! I’ve already got mine figured out.”

_Deep down.._

The sun rose to the sky, illuminating the sky beautifully with it’s light rays. Light leaked around the sky, brightening the city. Betty turned around, letting out a gasp at it’s sheer beauty. Of course, she’d seen sunrises before, but this one was absolutely glorious. Putting her hands into a praying position, she closed her eyes.

Deep down, all I wanted..

_All I really cared about was greeting the New Year at her side._

Turning around, Betty’s blonde hair flowed in the morning breeze. “Hey Archie, Sohma.. I just wanted to say Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to the next one with you.”

  
Jughead visibly relaxed. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Uh, yeah, same.” Archie said quickly, his face threatening to become red. He scratched his scalp on reflex nervously, before turning over to the sun. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “This is the year I’m gonna beat that damn rodent!”

“Uhuh, sure.. good luck with that.”

Betty knew it already. It was going to be a wonderful year.


	9. A Little of This & A Little of That

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BRET BRET BRET!
> 
> HE’S HEREEEE!
> 
> HE’S FINALLY HEREEEEE!
> 
> lol but fr this was another fun chapter to write. a little more insight on archie and a tiny tiny tiny bit of jughead’s past :)
> 
> love u guys <3
> 
> SORRY FOR THE LACK OF BARCHIE THIS CHAPTERRRR I’LL DEF BE PUTTING MORE IN THE FUTURE JUST YOU GUYS WAIT. 
> 
> next chapter has a cute barchie scene for those that are here for archie/betty.
> 
> barchie is growing on me..
> 
> but so are jug/betty.
> 
> hehe.
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The cashier scanned the last item. “That’ll be 1,190 yen, ma’am.”

Well, winter break was over and their second semester was beginning. Living with the Sohmas was still a non-stop adventure, no matter how much time passed.

After paying for the expenses, she took the heavy bags into her hands and walked through the automatic doors. “Thanks for waiting.” She chirped to the two Sohma cousins that had stayed out while she shopped.

Archie’s yelling greeted her. “I’m sick of your smug face! Let’s take this outside!”

Jughead watched with boredom. “We’re already outside, you idiot.”

Archie was vibrating with fury again, two fists clenched next to his sides as he stared at Jughead. There wasn’t a minute that passed where they weren’t arguing about even the smallest things.

Jughead’s eyes fell onto Betty. “Thank you for doing the shopping Miss Cooper, here.” He took two of the bags from her hands, taking it into his own to carry. 

Betty felt guilty. “There’s a lot, sorry. I guess I went a little overboard with the groceries..” 

Jughead started walking away from the store and shook his head. “It’s no trouble. Why don’t you try making yourself useful for once, dumb cat?”

Archie bounded after him. “Watch who you’re calling dumb. Give me both of those! I’ll carry them!” 

“You sure you can?”

“You’re the one who told me to help out!”

Many things had changed lately, but those two were still at each other’s throats. She’d made a wish at New Years for them to start getting along better, but she didn’t think it worked.

Archie had taken one of the bags and was holding it in his arms as they walked down the sidewalk. “I still don’t understand why I have to waste my time running an errand with _you_ of all people.”

Jughead shrugged. “You could’ve stayed home..”

That didn’t help the situation, because it likely made him more irritated. _“You_ should have stayed home!”

Jughead finally looked back at his redhead rival. “Will you do us all a favor and just shut up already?”

The cat spirit only laughed, dropping the groceries as he put up two fists in a fighting manner. “You want me to stop talking? You’re gonna have to make me, pretty boy!”

Jughead took the cluster of chives from his grocery bag and shoved it into Archie’s mouth, smirking as he did so.

The redhead fell to the ground, coughing up some of the leaves. He should have never let them know that chives was his weakness. 

“Poor thing. Are you going to be okay?” Betty worriedly asked, bending down to Archie’s level.

Jughead simply looked down at his hunched-over form, coughing into his sleeve before speaking. “That should keep him quiet for a while at least.”

—

Sweetpea came into the living room, a green towel draped over his shoulders. “All done! Jughead, bath time!” 

The brunette looked over at the TV and then back at his older cousin. After giving it a moments thought, he shook his head. “I’ll skip it today.”

The dog spirit’s eyes widened, putting a hand to his face. “No bath? You’re disgusting! You dirty boy.” He gasped, over-exaggerating his entire reaction purposely.

Jughead glowered at him. “One of these days I’m going to throw you off the roof,” he threatened, before lifting his gaze and putting his head into his hands. “I think I have a cold, that’s why.”

Betty shot up, putting a hand on his forehead to check it’s temperature. “Oh no, a cold? Are you running a fever?” She could feel heat radiating back onto her palm. “You do feel a little warm..”

Jughead was partially shocked by how fast she popped up and also on why she was so worried about a cold. These things happened to anybody, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. Nevertheless, he knew it was in her nature to put other people before herself. She was a natural caregiver, that was for sure.

Sweetpea moved through the room to start looking through shelves. “The quicker you can treat a cold, the sooner you’ll feel better. Let’s see if I can find you some medicine.”

The blonde brought her hand back from his forehead. “You should probably stay home from school tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.” She advised lightly.

Jughead shook his head and turned away. “No, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

Ever stubborn, Betty persisted. “..but we’re running the marathon! You’ll just make yourself worse.”

After rummaging through more cabinets, the dog spirit came across a box of medicine labeled for colds. Pulling it out, he held it up so he could examine it better. “Ah. Running in this chilly weather? That sounds like torture. These old bones couldn’t handle it.”  


Apparently appearing out of thin air, Archie looked like a blazing fire as he stood next to Betty and Jughead. “Hold on a second. Did you say.. marathon? As in a race?”

Jughead knew that look all too well. 

“..a race, right? In groups? Which means it’s a competition!” the redhead shouted, leering over at Jughead. 

Yup, there it was. He had seen that one coming.

Archie pointed a finger at Jughead’s back. “Alright! Tomorrow I’lll show you just how much faster I am!” 

While the three of them had some sort of jackets over them, Archie was simply in a short-sleeved yellow shirt. “Archie, put on a sweater or something. I’m freezing just looking at you.” Sweetpea stated as he walked back over to Jughead and Betty.

Betty put both her hands up. “Wait. Sohma has a cold. He can’t run tomorrow.”

Archie only let out a loud, competitive laugh. “..a cold? He’s gonna bail on the race because he’s got the sniffles? It’s on. You better not back down.”

He sure was enthusiastic about this.

Sweetpea closed the sliding door on him, letting out a sigh of relief. He bent down and pressed the box of medicine against Jughead’s cheek. “Seriously, don’t overdo it. If your body gets too weak from this cold, you’re going to transform, and I really doubt you want that.”

“I know..”

Betty had a bad feeling about this. Sohma had no business racing tomorrow, what he needed was rest, but something told her Archie wasn’t going to let that happen. Please let everyone get through tomorrow in one piece..

—

The coach’s voice was loud and clear as he called out to his students outside. “Be sure to warm up those muscles, people!”

All the girls in their gym class were busy doing something much different. Each of them were gushing over something or _someone_ in particular.

_“I just can’t stop looking!”_

_“Yeah..”_

_“Is there any sight more beautiful than that?”_

_“Jughead’s bare legs shining in the sun!”_

Betty walked over to him, looking down at him as he tied his shoes. “Sohma. You, um, didn’t eat very much breakfast this morning. Maybe you shouldn’t run..”

Standing up, he dusted off his shoulders. “No, it’s fine. I’ll make it through somehow,” he turned to where Archie was staring daggers at him. “Besides, if I don’t compete, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

The brunette turned back to Betty. “Oh, that reminds me. I don’t think I’ve seen Cheryl today.”

Betty laughed a little. “I think Cheryl is skipping. Toni should be here somewhere, thoug-”

One of Isabelle Mito’s minions linked an arm with her, smashing her side with hers. “Hey Cooper! You’re looking quite buddy-buddy with Jughead today,” Another one of the members of the Prince club latched onto her arm. “The girls race is about to start! Better get moving.”

The two girls dragged Betty away by the arm, looking like serpents waiting to eat up their prey.

Both Archie and Jughead watched her be taken away with slight concern. “I’ll.. see you later then.”

The coach’s voice bellowed out around. He had put the girls into a big group at the front of the track. “Alright! We’ll start with the girls!”

After the two club members dumped her by Toni, Betty seemed a little dazed. They watched from behind, giggling amongst themselves. 

Toni noticed her dizzy state. “Hey, what happened? You don’t look so good.”

The blonde brushed back her ponytail’s loose hairs. “It’s nothing.. I’m fine.”

Her eyes became a bit darker as Toni nodded. “Alright, if you say so.” What completely contradicted her words was the two club members shaking behind them, obviously having been struck by Toni’s waves. 

Recovered, Betty put up two fists with determination. “Toni! Lets go and run our best in honor of Cheryl!”

Toni nodded with a slight smile. “Sounds good. I’m not a terribly strong runner, but I’ll try my hardest.”

Once the girls were back in the large group, the coach held up a big red horn. Last year he’d used a fake gun to make a cracking sound, but that’d been banned from the campus. “Alright ladies. On your mark, get set, go!” He pressed on the horn,creating a loud sound that echoed around the campus.

The girls took off in a flurry of bouncing ponytails and sneakers. After only about a second of running, Toni fell to the floor dramatically, landing on her knees. “Alas. I am so sorry Betty. I can’t go on. Leave me. Run well, and don’t worry about me. I’ll walk.. slowly.”

The coach watched the pair with indignation. “You can crawl all the way for all I care, Toni. Just get moving!”  


—

The coach started to round up the boys after the girls had been gone for around two minutes. “Okay, boys! You guys ready?”

Archie and Jughead were at the front, the redhead anxiously awaiting while the brunette looked rather unbothered. 

“Get set! Go!” The horn rang loudly again.

Archie and Jughead sprinted forward, running at their full speeds as they easily made their way down the pavement. 

“I hope you’re hungry, because you’re gonna eat my dust!”

  
  
“Just shut up and run.” Jughead rubbed his nose, coughing back into his sleeve.

The boys behind them were running at a jogging pace, watching the cousins disappear around the corner.

_“It’s not a sprint, jeez.”_

_“Slow down..”_

_“I know right? I can’t even see them anymore.”_

_—_

Betty was still concerned about Jughead. Jogging wasn’t making things any better. Was Sohma really going to be okay?

Despite her thoughts, blonde hair caught her attention. Blonde people weren’t very common around where she lived. It was rather rare, really. Some people were born with it as children but then it usually grew into brown.

The blonde hair was on the hill below, supposedly coming from a boy she thought had somehow tripped and fell. She couldn’t see his entire body, but he was on the grassy hill and wasn’t moving.

Moving off the track and running over to the hill, she stumbled over a couple roots as she made her way over. “Excuse me! Do you need help?”

She had been wrong. He hadn’t fallen, it seemed he was more relaxing on the hill than anything else. She didn’t recognize this one. The blonde boy sat up, watching her come towards him.

Face completely flushed with embarrassment, she quickly thought up an excuse. “Oh I’m sorry! I saw your hair and then thought you might have tripped and fell! I wanted to make sure you were-” Betty herself fell, tripping on her shoelaces and landing on her back.

After watching her for a couple seconds, he spoke up. “Hey, do you know the Sohma family?”

Betty looked up at him with surprise, sitting back up. “Uh, sorry, why do you want to know?” She looked more closely at him before gasping. “Wait. Are you a Sohma too by any chance?”

“I am. You do know them?”  


Betty nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I do.”  


The loud yells of Archie could be heard from a distance. It was impossible to mistake his loud insults and complaints. His yells were also accompanied by the noisy sound of feet colliding with concrete hastily.

“Ah, I think I hear them..”

The two cousins were still bolting down the path at full speed, barely a bead of sweat coming down their faces. Archie, somehow, had managed to take off his shoes during the race and was running barefoot with his shoes in his hand.

Red hair blowing around his face, he turned to Jughead. “Well rat? Are you giving it your all?”

Jughead coughed again, his nose red. “I thought I told you to be quiet.”

Archie pushed in front, adding extra speed as he took the lead in the race. He looked rather proud of himself as he managed to get past Jughead.

The blonde boy, however, had other plans. He had tied a piece of thin rope to a pole, and pulled it all the way back to the other side of the path. 

“Oh, uh.. rope?” Betty questioned.

Just as Archie came towards them, the mysterious boy pulled the rope. Archie crashed onto the ground, head slamming into the concrete below. 

“Got one.”

Betty dashed over to Archie, kneeling next to him. “Archie! That was a really bad fall!” She exclaimed. She hadn’t expected him to trip Archie so harshly or else she would have stopped him.

Jughead caught up, catching his breath as he stopped next to them. “What happened?”

Archie twisted his neck around. “What the hell was that for?” he yowled, his hand coming to touch his head. 

The blonde boy looked back over at Archie’s form. “Figured it was the only way to get you to stop.”  


Blinking, Archie’s eyes focused. “Bret?”

“Not every skull is at thick as yours, Archie. I just had to.”

Archie pushed himself up, lip curling up in a snarl. “That still hurt, you jerk!”

Jughead put two hands in his hips, staring at Bret skeptically. “So it’s your turn. Everyone’s coming to visit. Don’t you have school, though?”  


Bret tucked both of his hands in his jacket pockets. “Uhh.. I set out from home on Sunday and wound up in a neighborhood I didn’t recognize. Somehow three days passed. It’s a mystery..”

Jughead rolled his eyes. “No, it’s called getting lost.”

The sound of feet hitting pavement could be heard behind them and the group turned around. The boys group was starting to catch up, and they were heading straight for them.

“Uhm.. maybe we should find somewhere else to talk?” Betty advised, watching them come closer.

“Agreed.”

—

The group of four had moved further down the hill to a small meadow below unused rail tracks.

“Miss Cooper, this is Bret Weston Wallis, or Bret Sohma. He’s a third year junior high student. So, one year younger than us.” Jughead introduced, hand referencing to the boy in front of them.

Jughead continued after giving her a minute to let the information sink in. “Bret, this is Betty Cooper.”

Bret nodded slowly. “Oh, that’s who you are,” He bent down in greeting, which immediately surprised the other blonde. “Nice to meet you.”

Following his actions, she bent down too. “No! It’s my pleasure.” She contested, coming back up with a bashful look on her face.

Bret was so polite and soft-spoken. He seems really mature for his age. He also looked ike he should’ve been a senior in highschool, not a mere eighth grader.

Archie looked between the two, looking uncomfortable. “So. Are you gonna tell us what you’re here for?”

Turning around towards the redhead, Bret raised a brow. “To fight you.”

Archie took a step back. “Huh?”

Bret took both of his hands out of his pockets. “I was going to challenge you at New Years, but you skipped out, so I came to you. Let’s go.” He had since moved into a fighting stance, two fisted hands in front of his body.

Archie put two palms outstretched in front of him, his bracelet jangling. Betty had noticed that he constantly had a red-and-white beaded bracelet around his wrist. She wondered if it was some sort of a memory from his past or if he just liked the accessory. “Wait, wait. Hold on! I’m kinda in the middle of an important race here..”

“I traveled two whole days for this.” Bret reminded him cooly, still standing with two fists raised. It was clear he wasn’t backing down anytime soon.

The redhead shook his head. “No, you just got lost.”

Bret continued. “Come on, let’s fight.”

Archie scowled at the blonde in front of him. “It’s not gonna happen, so just go home.”

“Uh, no thanks.”

Betty had since moved next to Jughead, watching the two argue. Jughead seemed a little anxious. “This won’t end well..” he sighed, putting a hand up. “Hey Archie, it might be a good idea to go along with Bret.”

Huh? What did he mean by that?

Relentless, Archie turned his back on his opponent. “I said no and I meant it. We’re done man, leave.”  


Something seemed to completely tick inside Bret, because he rose off the ground, slicing his leg across the air and colliding it with Archie’s neck. Bret let out a rather evil laugh, raising his head to the sky.

“Too late..” Jughead sighed.

Archie fell onto his knees, putting a hand on his neck and rubbing it with a grunt.

Standing over him with a devilish grin, Bret’s once calm attitude became rather demented. “I have no interest in your petty excuses. Now get up! It’s time for you to prove that you’re a real man, kitty cat! Fight me and die!” He erupted into another one of his evil laughs.

Betty took a step forward. “Maybe skip the dying part?”

  
  
Looking disturbed, Archie continued clenched his eyes shut as he let the pain subside. “Damn.. brat!” He snapped, landing his kick right under the boy’s chin. 

Jughead folded his arms over his chest. “That’s wonderful. He summoned dark Bret.” 

Betty turned towards her brunette friend with wide eyes. “Dark Bret?”

“The guy is usually a space cadet, but sometimes he’ll totally snap. We call that version dark Bret.”

Nodding slowly, she took in the bit of insight Jughead had given her. She would have never expected such a cool and collected man to completely bust like this. “Oh, I see. So it’s kinda like when Veronica gets a little violent?”

Jughead grimaced. “No, unfortunately he’s much creepier.”

Bret had corned Jughead into one of the pillars, putting his hand on the boy’s chin and bringing him close to his face. “Don’t just watched from the sidelines, Jughead. Today is the day I make you mine.”

The brunette gave him an aggravated stare. “..and do what with me, exactly?”

He let go of Jughead, turning back to the redhead he had provoked. “Now stand up, Archie!”

The redhead had certainly lost his rare calm. “I am standing up!”

Jughead eyed Betty from the side before looking back to their heated argument. “Miss Cooper, you should go. This could take a while.”

Betty had no intent of leaving. “I should..stay.”

The two martial artists collided, grasping each other’s hands as their heads touched. Both of their teeth clenched, each worked hard to push the other to the ground. “Too bad! I thought you had a spine, but you must have lost it at some point!” Bret sneered.

“You are seriously messed up when you turn dark, you know that?” Archie barked, licking his lips to moisten them. This blockhead always got lost going to the bathroom when they were kids, so Archie had to walk him there. Was this how Bret repaid him?

Bringing his voice an octave lower and quieter so that only Archie could hear, he smirked. “Ouch, that hurts. You better hurry up and fight me, or I might just decide to make that girl mine too.”

Archie’s eyes narrowed, bringing his head up to meet his. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Archie yelled, his body practically shaking from how much anger was coming from his body.

“Oh, we’ll spend some time getting to know each other.. doing a little of this, a little of that..” Bret said lowly, the smirk still present on his face as he pushed harder against Archie’s hands.

Jughead couldn’t hear what Bret was saying, but he had an idea judging by the redhead’s features. “Archie doesn’t turn dark, but he has a trait that he picked up from the cat. Veronica has a trait too, like when she gets a goal in mind? Well, you know how cats sometimes get pretty possessive over their owners? Archie has a tendency to get insanely protective over certain things, and on the occasion, a person. He’s been that way ever since we were kids.” He explained to Betty, turning back over to her.

She hadn’t expected that. Sure, she could see little Archie fighting over a crayon that was his, but having the tendency to be possessive? That was something different.

“..a little of this and a little of that?” Archie questioned, his anger boiling up over the second.

Bret seemed to be enjoying getting a reaction out of the redheaded boy. “Oh? You really want to know? Well, I would suppose first I would start by leading her into the bedro-”

Archie grew aflame, his pupils dilating. The anger that had been boiling bubbled over. He would not stand to hear this from _Bret._ God, if he could kill him he completely would with no guilt. Why was he suddenly feeling this new rush of fury? Something overtook him, and he let go of Bret, packing a punch to his cheek that sent him flying to the ground. “That’s it you damn pervert!”

Quickly recuperating, Bret hopped back up with a sinister grin. “There! That’s what you should’ve done from the start you pathetic coward!” 

Archie put himself into a fighting stance, beckoning him over. “Come here, bastard! I’m gonna punch your damn teeth in!”

Jughead continued to cough. “No, seriously, you should get going. This will definitely take some time.”

It was like Archie had red flame behind him and Bret had green. 

“Let’s go!” Archie howled, dodging a punch at his stomach with one of his arms.

“It’s your funeral kitty! Try throwing a punch loser!” 

The two were deep in their brawl, completely enveloped in eachother. The two jumped up, in which Archie took the opportunity to punt the other in the stomach. “You can talk as much trash as you want, it isn’t gonna save you!”

To Betty, it looked like they’d been transported into a martial arts movie.

Jughead sensed her worry. “Don’t be concerned. Really, they’ll eventually wear themselves out eventually. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I’d greatly prefer not to get caught in the cross fire.” His serious features became friendly as he turned back over to her.

His presence alone managed to ease her worries a little. “Yeah.. right..”

The loud sound of a fist hitting flesh sounded as Bret flew across the meadow, landing on his back with a pained grunt. Archie watched him fall, looking down at the fist that had landed the fatal blow with surprise. 

The blonde girl looked at Archie with wonder. “Wow. That punch. Archie seems really strong today.” She commented, putting two hands on her face.

Jughead nodded. “Yeah. I would probably say he’s the stronger of the two. They’ve both studied martial arts since they were kids and they appear to enjoy it.” The brunette let out yet another cough.

Betty turned towards him with a light smile. “Well yeah. Didn’t you study it because you enjoyed it too?”  


Her words seemed to set him back in time. “Maybe, it’s hard to tell.” 

_Closing his eyes, he could remember watching Archie and Bret in combat, tumbling on the sand as they each fought for dominance of the other. He stared, memorized by the way each of them positioned their moves._

_Two cold hands clamped over his eyes, dragging him backwards and knocking him out with a single hard hit to the head._

Eyes opening quickly, he heaved, falling down to his knees as his heart pounded in his chest. Hands grasping the grass below him, he fought for air in his lungs as his world spun.

Betty looked down once she saw him fall, and her eyes bulged, falling to the ground next to him. “Sohma! What happened? Please say something! Answer me!”

Bret turned around just Archie was about to land the final punch, running towards Jughead and kneeling beside him. The redhead tumbled to the ground, letting out an angry groan.

Bret took off his jacket and put it over Jughead’s shoulders. “Jughead, an attack? Man, you’re really burning up. I’ll call the Main House and..” his words trailed off when Jughead put a hand on his shoulder, giving his head a small shake. 

He looked down at the brunette below him. “No, you don’t want to do that?” He stood up, facing his former opponent. “Archie, is it okay if I take a raincheck on our fight?”

The cat spirit had gotten up, looking over at the three. “Uh, yeah sure..”

The blonde boy turned back over to Betty and Jughead. “I think our best bet is Sweetpea’s house then. We could take a taxi there..” he put a hand on his chin, shaking his head. “No, that’s out. In this condition, Jughead might transform.”

Betty appeared below him. “Is there some way I could help? Please, I’ll do anything.” Her face was lightly tinted from how exasperated the entire scene had made her.

Bret’s smirk was back as he stared down at the other blonde. “Yeah, alright. I think I’ll take you up on that. It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

Betty looked confused. “Huh?”  


Eyes narrowing slightly, his smirk became more devious. “I’m saying if I’m gonna hug someone I rather it be a cute girl like you.” Without another word from either of them, he grabbed Betty by her uniform and enveloped her into his arms, squeezing her tightly.

“Uhh.. excuse me, what are you doing?”  


Bret erupted into a cloud of gray and yellow, the feel of his embrace leaving her as he transformed into his zodiac spirit.

Archie stared menacingly at the cloud. “Ask permission first, asshole.”

“It’ll be easier for Jughead if I carry him this way. You’ll have to keep holding onto me so I don’t turn back.” Out of the cloud stepped out a hoof, and then the rest of his body was revealed. Bret’s zodiac spirit was an enormous ox.

—

Sweetpea erupted in a laugh. “Well, you boys certainly know how to make a grand entrance.” 

Bret was busy chewing on Sweetpea’s robe as the redhead spoke brusquely. “Keep going and I’ll punch you next.”

That didn’t seem to bother Sweetpea as he continued laughing. “I bet you attracted quite the crowd on the way here.”

“Yeah, a pack of little brats.”

After Sweetpea had enough of tormenting them, he carried Jughead upstairs into his room and set him down onto his bed. Bringing the covers over his body, he brushed the hair from his hair and looked down at his sleeping form. “He’s fast asleep. This attack wasn’t a bad one. He has a cold, but he’ll be fine.”

The dog spirit sat down on the bed next to Jughead. “Sorry we dragged you into all this. You can go back to school now, we’ve got this.” he told Betty, offering her an encouraging run on the shoulder.

Betty shook her head quickly. “No! I’ll stay here and watch over him. Going to school is important, but not at the cost of abandoning someone sick.. and, well, colds can be dangerous. They shouldn’t be taken lightly,” her eyes became a little glossy. “If my mom were here, I know that she’d agree.”

Picking himself up, Sweetpea nodded. “Alright then, you three stay. I’ll go to the school and retrieve your effects.” He began to walk out the room. 

“You don’t have to do that, really!”

The older man turned around momentarily to look at her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing,” he turned over to the redheaded male in the room. “Archie, you make sure to let Doc Hiram know what’s going on.”

Archie angrily walked after Sweetpea. “What? Why do I have to do it?”

Another cloud of gray and yellow appeared as Bret changed back into his human form. “I’ll do it. Where’s the phone again?”

With no shame at all, he walked in front of Betty which almost made her faint. Turning away quickly, she hid her face in her hands.

“Don’t just walk around naked, you creep!” The redhead howled from behind.

—

Now fully clothed, Bret nodded into the phone. “I got it. Thank you.” With that said, he tucked the phone back into its receptor.

Archie was sitting on the floor beside him, leaning up against the wall. “Well, what did Hiram say?”

The blonde boy looked down at the redhead. “He chewed me out for some reason..”

Scoffing, Archie looked the other way. “Maybe it’s because you left home for three days without telling anyone?” Pausing, he waited a few seconds before asking. “So, what now? Rat boy seems to be doing better. Do you wanna go finish the fight?”

Turning away too, Bret faced the door. “Eh. Why bother. There would be no point. I forgot how strong you are, Archie.”

Springing up, the cat spirit grabbed his shoulders. “You’re kidding me here. You can’t just put me through all that and randomly decide you’re done!” he moved his hands from his shoulders and instead grasped the other boy in a head lock. “When the hell did you stop being dark Bret anyway?”

“Oowie..”

Descending down the stairs, Betty looked down at the pair with interest. “Hmm? So you’ve changed back into being light Bret?”  


Both of them looked up, Bret speaking first. “Uhhhh.. yes.”

Sohma was right. He’s a totally different person now.

Pulling away from Archie, Bret took a step up. “How’s Jughead?”

“He’s still sleeping. I was going to get an ice pack for him.” 

Turning back towards Archie, he stood close to him. “No attacking in his sleep.” He warned the older boy.

The redhead looked like he couldn’t have been more annoyed by Bret’s warning. “Yeah, obviously. I’m gonna win against him and I’ll prove that I can do it fair and square. Ha. This is lame, I’m going back to school.” He jogged over to the door, simply opened it, and then left.

“Bye..” Betty sighed.

—

Filling up the icepack near the faucet, Betty screwed on the top.

Bret leaned up against the counter, watching her create the icepack. “Those two? Do they get into fist fights everyday?”

Lifting her eyes to his, she shook her head slightly. “Not really. They do argue all the time though.”

Bret looked pleased at the notation. “Oh yeah? Looks like they’re getting along a lot better lately.”

Eyes furrowing and brain going to work, she pulled a towel over the icepack. “That’s.. better?”

Picking up his necklace that had a small crystal on it, he held it in front of his face. “Sure it is. Their vibes have changed a little, and they’re not as uptight anymore. Not sure what happened there, although.. maybe it has something to do with you.”

The mere announcement of that made Betty’s eyes big. “Me? No. I don’t know what I could’ve done to make them like each other more.”

The two left the faucet, both in unison as they went up the stairs. “It’s not like I’ve been watching you, so I could be wrong, but as long as things are changing for the better, that’s good. Especially for Jughead.” Bret explained as he started to walk towards Jughead’s room.

Betty followed closely behind, holding the icepack in her hand. “Hm?”  


Bret stopped in front of Jughead’s door. “He was my first love. I like Archie, but Jughead is special, to me anyway. Although I did hate him back when we were little, because he’s the rat. In the folktale, remember? The rat rode up to the banquet on the back of the ox. I resented him so much for that.” He opened the brunettes door quietly, walking in. He was still fast asleep.

Following behind him, Betty walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

“The adults all laughed and said the rat used the ox to get to the banquet first, and he was only able to because the ox was an idiot. Of course, it felt like they were laughing at me and calling me an idiot,” he took the icepack from her hands and laid it under Jughead’s head gently. “So, I got really down on myself, and I blamed it on the rat. I was always on edge, loosing my temper at the drop of a hat. That’s when _it_ came out. The dark personality. Put my parents through hell. I took up martial arts hoping it would help somehow.. but the baggage was still there. I enjoyed my training, but it didn’t stop people from making fun of me. Then one day, I came across Jughead. We’d never actually spoken before. I completely snapped.”

…

_On the bridge, Jughead had wrapped himself on his robes, looking down at the wooden planks beneath his body._

_Below the bridge was Bret, standing defensively at he glared at Jughead. “I hate you so much you sneaky rat! It’s your fault people make fun of me! It’s your fault for being a dirty cheater! It’s your fault I’m stupid! That I’m an idiot!”Heaving after his outburst, his hands became fists as his sides._

_Jughead spoke up. “Really? Are you? Are you an idiot? Are you stupid? Is that what you think?”_

_Bret cast his eyes to look up at him, mouth wide open from his words. Deflating and unclenching his fists, he shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m not stupid. I’m.. I’m not.. an idiot. I’m really not.”_

_The brunettes head still hung low. “No, no you’re not.” He then moved his orbs towards Bret’s, offering him a small, yet soothing smile._

_…_

Brett let out a long breath at the memory. “After that, I didn’t loose my temper as much. I’d been bottling that up for so long, but Jughead helped me to say it, and by doing that he set my heart free. I was stunned. He was totally different than the Jughead I’d imagined. I’d been like the others, deciding he was the dirty rat without bothering to get to know him. I’m glad I ran into him that day, otherwise I would probably _still_ hate him.. and that, would be stupid.”  


Getting down onto her knees next to him, she caught his eye and gave him the most understanding smile she could muster. “That was a beautiful story, Bret.”

Licking his lips, he looked back at Jughead. “You know, I noticed something earlier. You were standing there, next to Jughead? He was smiling, but softly. He never used to smile like that when he was living with the main family, but with you, he did. That’s why I thought you might have something to do with the difference in him.”

Again, Betty informed him that she would have nothing to do with that. She didn’t believe that she’d be able to change anybody. What was so special about her?  


Bret stared at her for a second before beckoning her towards him. “Hm. Okay, a test.” He brought his lips to her ear, putting a hand to cover as he whispered his plan into her ear.

Jughead stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he took in the two people kneeling next to his bed. His eyes coming more into focus, he could make out the two people whispering to eachother. “Miss Cooper? You’re here?”

“Yes. I’m so glad you’re awake!”

Getting up quickly, he put two hands on his covered thighs. “I transformed.”

Betty put two hands up, halting his movements. “Hold on, you shouldn’t move too quickly.”

The brunette ran a hand over his face. “Hold on, how did I get home?” He pondered, pulling back some of his curls.

  
  
The blonde girl was the first to supply an answer. “Simple. Bret transformed so that he could carry you.”

Turning his gaze from Betty to Bret, he rubbed his eye. “Oh, uh, thanks Bret.”

Nodding, Bret didn’t drop his gaze. “I told her how much I love you, I just thought you should know.”

Stopping his movements and dropping his hands from his face, Jughead looked unnerved. “Why would you tell her something as ridiculous as that? What if she actually takes you seriously?”

“I am serious.”

Betty’s eyes were bright. “Besides, I think it’s a really sweet story, don’t you.. Forsythe?” Her last couple of words were hesitant and said with a blush.

Jughead looked down at his blankets. “Come on now, you don’t..” Realization hit him that she’d actually used his real name, and his face turned so red that she thought he’d quite literally explode. The rush of emotions caused him to transform into a mouse, plopping onto his pillow. He covered his head with his paws from the raw embarrassment.

The blonde girl looked disappointed as she looked down at the sheets. “Bret, I think it’s safe to say I failed the test.”

_“Try calling him by his given name, it’ll make him happy.”  
_

What Betty didn’t know was this was an even better reaction than what he expected.

—

“Ha! Three of a kind!” Archie dished out, the five cards in his hand dropping to the center of the pile.

Sweetpea winked at him. “I got half kings.”

Toni, who had been secretly keeping her cards to herself, revealed them. “Meanwhile I.. have five of a kind.”

Archie slammed down the rest of his cards. “How the hell did I lose again? I want one more round!”  


That night, Jughead wasn’t the only one in bed with a cold. Archie and Sweetpea had transformed into their animal forms, tucked into a bed with the sheets up to their chins.

Bret sat next to them, watching them sleep. “Well, what do you expect when you play poker outside all day..”

Hiram, who had checked in on them, turned away from the group with a loud sigh. “Obviously the family is trying to work me to death..”


	10. Chocolates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay soooo..
> 
> um sweetpea is.. interesting this chapter.
> 
> wanted to elaborate a bit on him, i hoped you guys would enjoy that bit of the chapter that I included. basically just hinting more and more to something in particular.
> 
> also.. this chapter might be more on the boring side? idk but next chapter is cute to me and i hope u guys enjoy that one too.  
> the cute lil barchie scene i promised is here. :)
> 
> if ur here for bughead or barchie there will be scenes for the both of them in all or most of my chapters, i promise <3
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Shuffling around on his bed, sweat beaded Archie’s face as he twisted and turned. Light leaked from his window, illuminating the room with the early morning rays of the sun.

Eyes opening with a start, he pulled the covers off himself. Panting from the heat his body radiated, he wiped the sweat from his forehead before making a break to the bathroom to shower.

—

“Thanks for the soup, Betty, it’s divine.” Sweetpea slurped, wiping his face with a napkin as he put the bowl down. The three of them, Jughead, Betty, and Sweetpea had sat down to eat breakfast and Betty had tried out a new recipe for soup.

Enjoying the praise, Betty’s eyes mirrored her thoughts. “I’m so glad you like it, I was worried it would be a failure.” She remarked, nibbling on a piece of buttered toast.

Sweetpea pointed his chopsticks at her. “Just another way you’ve changed things around here. When it was just Jughead and I here, we’d never eat breakfast.”

Archie walking into the kitchen grabbed Betty’s attention and she turned her head over towards him. “Archie, good morning!”

The dog spirit watched him grab a carton of milk from the fridge and open the top. “Aye, come and eat, Betty made a rather lavish soup.”

“..better hurry, or it’ll all be gone.” Jughead added with a hint of petulance in his voice.

Gulping straight from the carton again, Archie took a few more sips before setting it down. “Not hungry.” With only those two words said, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out the kitchen, completely ignoring the rest of their words.

Jughead couldn’t have looked more nonchalant. “He can starve if he wants.” He brought his spoon to his lips, sipping the liquid on it. 

Archie wasn’t exactly crazy talkative with them in the morning or anything, but it was unlike him to be so ignorant. “I wonder what’s wrong..” The blonde inquired, staring at the opened carton on the kitchen counter.

—

Toni opened Jughead’s locker carefully, finding a single bag of chocolates inside.

Cheryl stood behind, two hands on her hips. “Huh. There’s only one. That’s a let down, I figured that the prince’s locker would be filled ‘till it burst.”

Jughead took a peek at his own locker. “With what?”

The redhead still looked a little suspicious. “Chocolates. I was expecting a whole avalanche to come tumbling out.”

Toni eyed the bag invidiously. “I think I have an idea what happened. What we have here is a clear case of the cuckoo phenomenon. Just as a cuckoo chick will take out another bird’s nest and dump out it’s eggs, each girl has tossed out the previous girl’s chocolates to draw attention to her own,” she moved both of her hands to point at the garage overflowing with colored boxes and bags of candy. “Allow me to present Exhibit A.”

Cheryl raised a brow at the heap. “That’s low, even for those cuckoos..”

Toni picked up the green bad filled excessively with treats from Jughead’s locker, pulling it towards her chest. “..and I will be the hawk that swoops in to seize the final surgary offering.”

The blonde held up two hands to halt her. “Shouldn’t Jughead get at least some of his chocolates.. though?”

—

It was February 13th. Valentine’s day falls on a Saturday this year, so today would be a chocolate-giving frenzy at school.

Walking as a group of four, they could see Archie coming from the opposite hall towards then. He had two hands in his pockets, clearly disturbed as he glared at the ground. His eyes lifted as he saw the group, but the adamant look in his eyes didn’t go away.

Going a little faster to greet him, Betty waved to him. “Archie, hi!” she piped, blonde hair falling from her shoulders to her back.

Cheryl followed Betty, raising a hand in salute. “Sup.”

Moving past them with little emotion, his voice was dull. “Hey.” He stopped in front of Jughead, though, leering at him. Taking one hand out of his pocket, he reared back his hand in the beginning of a punch, his hand flying straight towards Jughead’s face and stopping _just_ before it hit. Jughead didn’t flinch, simply staring at his cousin as he pulled away with a sneer, heading out of the hallway.

The other redhead seemed irritated by his dramatic greeting. “First thing in the morning and he’s already looking for a fight..”

Toni watched him leave with a shake of her head. “I’m not so sure. His waves seem a little more innocent than usual. It’s odd,” The pink-haired girl explained, bunching her hair around her shoulder. “He’s conflicted about something. Well, it’s got nothing to do with us, just as long as he doesn’t cause trouble for our Betty.”

Cheryl playfully nuzzled Betty’s head. “Good enough for me.”

—

_“We shall give them to Jughead!”_

_“We shall..”_

_“Nobody is more deserving.”_

_“They will be his!”  
_

The three girls who had since moved to their homeroom watched uncomfortably as the girls planned evilly with each other. It was as if they’d turned into demons.

The redheaded female looked pained. “Girls are really terrifying this time of year. They look like a pack of starving wolves lying and waiting for their prey.”

Betty felt bad for the members of the zodiac. Valentine’s day must be pretty scary for them.

“Archikins! Here, I brought these for you.” One of the schoolgirls had set a pack of chocolates in front of Archie’s desk, smiling flirtatiously at him. 

Obviously not taking the hint, he seemed more vexed than flattered. “Uh, okay.”

Betty watched the exchange from her seat with interest. “Wow, looks like Jughead isn’t the only one getting chocolates.”

Cheryl had a look of pure entertainment on her face. “Archikins! Go carrots, that girl is in love,” she laughed, turning back her blonde friend. “So are you giving them chocolates too?”  


Her mood lightened. “Yes, and I’d like to give some to Sweetpea and the other Sohmas. I was planning to give you two yours on Monday, if that’s okay.”

Toni’s eyes matched her smile. “I appreciate it.”

Cheryl nodded along to her statement, ruffling Betty’s hair. “Sound’s fun.”

“Way to go Archikins.” One of his friends applauded with a smirk.

“Yeah dude, I’m jealous.” Another one chirped fatuously.

Archie stared down blankly at the chocolates that were now below his face. “Is today.. Valentine’s day?”

The brunette next to him tucked his hands into his uniform pockets. Each student was instructed to wear a uniform. “Uh, I mean technically it’s tomorrow-“

Archie stood up with a start, slamming both his palms on his desk, and kicking back his seat. “I’m going home! Wait no, I can’t, it’s not safe there either. Right. I’ll go on a trip, get out of town. I’ll see you suckers later!” He sprinted away towards the exit quickly, only to be hit by a heavy book in the forehead.

Their homeroom teacher, Ms.Grundy, had stopped him with her book. “Don’t know where you think you’re going, but your desk is over there.”

Archie fell to his knees, his hand coming to his forehead. “Just let me go you old hag!”

Pulling away the book, she looked down at him with triumph. “What’s that? Looks like I’ve got a student who’s in need of an attitude adjustment. Maybe dying that orange hair would help you curve that disobedient streak, but the good news is I came prepared.” She took a box of _‘Gray Away’_ from her purse and shoved it in his face.

Revoking the box, she started to walk away. “Unless you want a makeover, I suggest you sit down.”

It seemed like something was really bothering Archie, something more serious than being afraid of girls. Maybe he had a bad Valentine’s day memory.

—

Once the school bells signaling the end of the day rang, Betty took it upon herself to find Archie and walk with him home. After looking through crowds of students, she found him at the back entrance, decending the stairs. After only a few steps, he completely halted.

Catching up to him, she noticed his features had screwed up into a look of pure defeat. “Uh, you look kinda nervous.” She followed his line of eyesight to see what he was staring at and it did not disappoint.

Standing next to the fences was none other than Veronica Sohma, facing the other way. It seemed to was waiting for someone, which one could only assume to be Archie. 

“It’s Veronica.”

Turning around at the sound of voices, Veronica’s eyes widened as she saw the familiar red hair. “My love, Archie. I’m here darling!” she bounded towards him, pink sneakers clattering against the steps as she raced up to him.

Without giving it another moment’s thought, the redhead jumped over the set of stairs and bolted away from the girl across campus. “Oh crap! She found me!”

Veronica jumped too, dashing after him at full speed. Her red eyes were back, her anger fueling her motivation to catch up to him. 

Practically running for his life, Archie sped past Jughead in a cloud of dust.

“My love will not be denied!”

The brunette watched them weave their way across campus with knowing look. “Figured.”

So, this was all about avoiding Veronica. She got it now.

—

“Well, it’s Valentines after all, an important day for couples to spend together.” Veronica sat herself down where the three Sohmas had joined. Archie, Jughead, and Sweetpea were all huddled around the main table, Archie looking deeply perturbed.

“We’re not a couple.”

Sweetpea effectively managed to hide his simper. “Careful now, you’ll only make it worse.”

Slamming his head into his palm, Archie shook his head. “Screw this. I should have fought my way out of that damn classroom.” 

Turning back towards Veronica, the dog spirit changed his simper to a smile. “So, are you here to bring chocolates?” 

Putting both her hands into her lap, the brunette girl looked from both Archie to Sweetpea. “No, I actually came here to invite him out. Tomorrow, okay? Let’s spend the day together. I want to give you your chocolates then, too.”

Moving his hand from his face to card through his hair, the redhead scoffed. “Go out?”  


  
  
Betty appeared behind them with a tray of tea, opening the sliding door to the living room and stepping in. “Wow. That sounds like a real date.” She set down the tray on the table, sitting next to Jughead.  


The boar spirit’s eyes practically sparkled at the blonde’s words. “When you say it like that, it’s kinda embarrassing Betty.” She put two hands at her cheeks, looking over to her beloved again.

Her words didn’t lessen Archie’s blow. “I’m not going. There’s no way.”  


Veronica’s eyes sparkled red for a moment, her hair moving to cover half of her face. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

“I said no, damnit! Why should I have to go out on some dumb Valentine’s date, and with _you?”_

Veronica had since stepped up, facing towards him. “Archie, that was cruel,” she sniffled, “You always have to be so hateful!” She sobbed.

Archie hung his head low to the ground, closing his eyes shut. “Please make it stop..”

Sweetpea’s eyes darted back and forth from the two. “This is cute and all, but perhaps you two can take the flirting elsewhere?”

_“Shut up!”_

Betty took out a cup from her tray and poured the tea into it, dropping a little of honey into it like she knew Jughead liked. Taking the warm cup, she handed it to the brunette. “Here’s your tea.”

Taking it from her, he nodded his thanks with gratitude. “Thank you Miss Cooper.”

Veronica brought her face from her hands. “Hold on, I have a great idea. We’ll bring Jughead and Betty with us for a double date!” 

The two exchanging tea looked up in surprise, both their faces tinting from just the idea itself.

Sweetpea looked enthusiastic about the notion. “Nice. I like it.”

Obviously pleased with herself, the love-sick girl swung back and forth. “I know right?”

Jughead put up a hand in objection. “Hey, wait just a second-”

Archie interrupted him, looking even more unenthused by the idea, if that was possible. “I’m not going anywhere with Jughead!”

Betty piped up, her eyes glistening from the sheer excitement. “Wow, I’ve never been on a real date, let alone a double date! Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” 

The redhead completely deflated. “Fine.. whatever.”

—

Veronica tugged at Archie’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Are you excited yet?” The brunette squeezed his hand to get his full attention.

They were standing at the front of house, Veronica departing from them for the time being. “Not at all.” He retorted back.

Letting go of his hand, she turned around and faced the sky. “You know, Bret told me something. He said that you and Jughead are starting to get along better. He thinks that maybe, if you get to know each other, you’ll actually become friends. I hope he’s right. That would make me happy,” She stood, watching the clouds move for a few seconds before waving her goodbye. “Well bye!”

Sweetpea’s voice could be heard from behind. “Bret is surprisingly wise sometimes. Come on now, would it kill you two boys to meet each other half way?” He sat on the single step, legs crossed.

Archie, who had been turned away, side-eyed the older spirit. “..and what do you know about it?” He accused, eyebrows furrowing. “Stop talking like we’re supposed to be friends or something. Get to know him? Don’t make me puke! I hate his guts and I always will! All of you should just accept that!” The redhead yelled, obviously had been hit at a nerve.

“You know, it almost sounds like you feel obligated to hate him..”

Archie’s pupils dilated, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands and drawing blood. 

“What’s wrong? Are you scared of what might happen if you actually get to know him?”

Shaking from his rage, Archie couldn’t take Sweetpea’s words anymore and made a run for it, charging down the steps leading to the house and throwing himself into the forest that laid ahead.

Betty appeared from the living room, taking steps after him that turned into a jog. “Archie wait! Please, come back to the house!”

The dog spirit swallowed, lounging further on the step. He could feel Jughead’s presence come up behind him. Letting out a sigh, he scratched his head.

“Something happen? Whats wrong?”  


Putting down his hand, Sweetpea looked down. “Me.. I might have been a little impatient with Archie. Pushed him too far.”

—

Feet hitting the dirt below, Betty had set off in search of Archie. She’d seen him go into the woods, but she didn’t know exactly where. The woods felt more lonely without anyone accompanying her. “Archie? Can you hear me?”

Back there, he really did look like he was scared. Sweetpea _had_ hit him in the wrong place.

Looking around as she continued to walk, her eyes found him in a clearing, closed in on himself. He was hunched on the ground, his knees up to his face and his arms enclosed around them. She could only see his back since he was faced away from her.

Walking up to him carefully, she stopped behind him. “Hey Archie? Are you okay?” She asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

His hatred. He was using it to protect something.. but what? Himself?

“Forget it. What happened back there? Forget it. It has nothing to do with you. Let it go.” He responded firmly, still closed in on himself.

Watching him for a moment in time, she fell to her knees behind him, her hands clutching her blue school skirt. Trying to find the right words, she bit her lip. “It’s okay if you don’t like him, really. I mean.. I’ve been hoping you two could learn to get along, but it’s fine if you can’t. It’s fine if you hate him. It really is.”

Archie sat, quiet, but inside his mind was rushing with thoughts. Like usual, his mind played back something old she had said to him. It was as if his brain used their earlier memories as comfort.

_“I can see it, plain as day. You have a plum, right there on your back. Sohmas great, but the thing is, so are you.”_

Archie’s voice was strangely calm, but inside she could tell he was hurting. “I don’t want to see. I don’t want to think about anything. Not yet.” 

Archie’s heart was much more delicate than he wants people to know, even a single touch might bruise him. Of course, she’d never disclose this newly found information with anyone else, but she understood now.. at least partially.

Soon, both of them were moving up the steps to go back to Sweetpea’s residence. Archie had since calmed down, a peaceful look on his face as went up. Betty was next to him, quietly watching her steps before looking back up at him. “So.. I know we have plans tomorrow, but it’s okay.. if you rather not go.”

The redhead continued walking, not batting an eyelash at her comment. “I guess I can live with it, it’s just one day.”

Nodding slowly, she looked back down at the steps below her. “If you’re sure.”

Looking down at her, Archie swallowed. This girl was breaking down his walls, rock by rock just by her words.. her presence, her gentle nature. It both terrified him and.. amazed him. Taking one his hands out of his pocket, he gently knocked her in the head with his knuckles.

Putting a hand up to the spot and laughing, she looked up at him. “Why did you do that for?”

Looking back forward, his hand retreated back into his pocket. “No reason, really. Let’s just get back.”

The pain he held inside, the fear.. someday, she hoped she could wipe it all away. That’s what the Sohma family did to her, and most importantly, she wanted them to be happy, too.

—

_“Sweetpea! I’m heading over there now, so please drop everything and get that manuscript ready to go!”_

The sound of the voice recording echoed around Sweetpea’s office. It was his editor coming to pick up his manuscript to be revised.

The next day had come fast. It seemed like just a few minutes ago they had seen Veronica at their school, waiting outside with her famous teddy-bear backpack.

Adjusting his reading glasses, Sweetpea smirked. “Cute, and the please was a nice touch.”

Jughead slid open the door to his office, Betty behind him. “Sweetpea, I’m not sure how long we’ll be.”  


Throwing his head back in his chair, his eyes found Jughead’s. “Go! You kids enjoy yourself. What fun, who doesn’t enjoy a double date?”

Not bothering to respond, Jughead started to walk away with Betty in tow.

“Wait, one more thing Jughead. Don’t be a cheap skate. No splitting the bill, okay?” He had gotten up from his seat, poking his head out the door.

The brunette turned away from him with internal aggravation. “Wasn’t planning on it..”

The dog spirit followed him to the door where Archie was busy getting on his shoes. “..and you, be a good escort for sweet Veronica.”

Archie slipped on his last shoe, tying it with a grumble. “This is so stupid.”

Betty appeared below Sweetpea, two hands held up in a clasped manner. “Oh, uh Sweetpea? Are you sure you don’t mind going over to the main estate? I can always just deliver the chocolates myself later.” 

Pushing his glasses further up his nose, he waved her off. “Worry not, I wasn’t planning to eat them.”

Embarrassment riddling her face, she shook her head instantly. “Oh no! That’s not what I meant! You just seem really busy with work-”

“No, it’s fine. He’ll do it. You just stay away from the estate.” Jughead said sternly, a change from his usual tone of voice.

Sweetpea looked off to the side for a second. Little does he know she’s already been there..

His eyes turning back downwards towards Betty, he offered a smile. “No, Jughead’s right. I’ll handle it,” he put his hand on the blonde’s head, lightly patting her head. “You just leave the chocolates to me. Enjoy your date.” He tenderly rubbed her head.

The dog spirit’s touch set her at ease. “Okay.” She nodded compliantly. 

Sweetpea’s eyes twitched for a second, holding a foreign emotion that might’ve been guilt before turning back into the comforting orbs she knew.

“Hey! If we’re gonna go, let’s go.” Archie called from the door, opening it.

Betty moved away, skipping towards the door. “Right. Thanks a lot. See you when we get back!” The blonde called, two hands on the door and the other half of her body already outside the house.

Swallowing, he turned back towards them with a reassuring smile. “Sure. Now.. get out of here.”

The sound of the door closing and clicking confirmed their departure. 

_“Sweetpea. Listen! I know you’re ignoring my calls and that’s fine, but don’t you dare run off before I get there!”_ The sound of the phone going back into it’s receptor was the last of his editor.

“Hmm.. interesting. So that’s what she expects from me,” he moped sadly, moving towards the exit of the house. “It would be such a shame to disappoint her.” He smirked to himself.

—

Veronica crashed into Archie, arms wrapping around his waist and pressing him close to her. “Archie! I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about today. I barely got any sleep at all.”

“Oh yeah? Well maybe in that case you should go home and take a nap!”

The blonde was busy staring at the floor, obviously deep in thought about something on her mind. Noticing this expression, the mouse spirit looked down at her with interest. “Something wrong Miss Cooper?”

Taking a minute to collect her words, her eyes switched from the floor to his. “Well, it’s just.. no matter what happens, Sweetpea always has a smile on his face. So I have difficult time understanding if I’m troubling him.”

Jughead knew exactly what she was talking about. “Not many people know what’s going on inside his head. He’s a mystery to most everyone but Hiram. You know, it’s funny. Someone once said he’s like a ripple in the water. The wave that approaches and recedes. It tickles your feet, but when you reach down to touch it, it leaves. He’s the kind of man you can never quite catch,” he pursed his lips. “I always thought that analogy was too pretty. If you ask me, he’s the jellyfish, waiting to sting you.”

The blonde couldn’t have helped the laugh that came from her.

“Betty! Jughead! We’re going to miss the beginning of the movie if we don’t hurry!” Veronica called, now completely on Archie’s back and grasping onto him for dear life.

Betty bounded after them. “Oh, right!”

She had gotten Jughead thinking too. He may be smiling on the outside, but who knew what kinds of things he was plotting on the outside..

—

“Special delivery!” the dog spirit chimed at Hiram’s door. “Valentine’s chocolates from yours truly!”

Hiram shut the door on him with zero remorse.

Opening back the door, Sweetpea poked his head in, dramatically rubbing at his eyes. “Okay, you’re right I lied, they’re really from Betty.” 

“Idiot.”

After being invited, or rather Sweetpea forcing his way in, they sat down at his office with Betty’s chocolates sitting at Hiram’s desk. “She’s a thoughtful girl.” The doctor commented.

Fixing his robes, he sat at one of the table chairs. “That’s an understatement, she sent some along for Finn and Bret, too. She was going to bring them over here herself, but I volunteered. Do you want to know why? Because she, Jughead, Archie and Veronica are all going out on a double date together.”

Hiram looked up from the small colorful bag of sugary essence. “That’s certainly unexpected.”

The dog spirit lounged in the chair. “Isn’t it? Must be Betty’s influence. That girl has worked a Valentine’s miracle. They’re probably snuggled up, watching a movie as we speak.”

Hiram picked up the cup of tea he had originally been sipping before Sweetpea’s arrival. “I can see her influence on them. She has the most uncanny way of softening anyone she meets.”

Looking at his tea longingly, he adjusted his robes again. “I have a confession. I might have.. sort of.. picked on Archie yesterday. He got a bit agitated and ran off."  


“ _Don’t_ wind him up.”

“..but then, Betty went after him and brought him back. He seemed almost normal. She has some sort of tranquilizing effect on those two.”

Hiram looked at him with squinted eyes. “You look satisfied. Things are going exactly as you planned them.”

Sweetpea tilted his head. “Why do I detect a note of criticism in your voice when you say that?”

“Like hell you’re not using her, you shameless liar. You and Hermione both. She’s a pawn you two are using in some type of elaborate game. Don’t even think about pretending otherwise.”

Sweetpea let out a small, completely emotionless chuckle. “Do you remember that morning.. the dream? We all woke up crying. You, me, Fogarty. For you two, it became something twisted and painful, but for me.. those feelings still linger. Unfaded. That affection, that passion, so thrillingly sweet and sad.”

“ _I don’t want it to end. I want it to last forever. I want to give it form and make it mine. I will.”_

“..all these years, and that vow is still right here.” He put a hand on his heart. “If I have to lie, or manipulate a few people along the way? Then so be it. It’s a small price to pay, even if someone does gets hurt. I do feel bad about it sometimes, though. Mostly, it’s when I’m looking at Betty. She’s just good, through and through. She helps for those two, but her innocence may be a bit much for me. Sometimes, she forces me to realize I might be the filthiest soul of all.”

  
  
He then broke out in a laugh. “Granite, I’m as dirty as they come,” Putting his jokes aside, he continued. “It’s funny. Sometimes, I find myself being jealous of you and I wonder if I’m the most cursed of us.”

The door opening behind them could be heard. “Pardon me, but it’s time for Hermione’s checkup.”

The dog spirit stood up, putting two arms out. “Ooh, I know! How about I fill in for you? I promise I’ll be very thorough.”

“Saw that one coming..”

—

Sweetpea slipped back on his shoes, preparing to leave Hiram’s house and instead go to Hermione’s. “Tell Cooper I said thank you for the chocolates when you get home.”  


Nodding, he started to walk away towards the door. “Sure, sure.”

“Whatever outcome you’re aiming for, you had better be prepared to lose a tooth. Jughead, Archie, maybe even Cooper, one of them is bound to punch you in the face before this all plays out.” Hiram warned. From just hearing what he’s been told in the occasional gossip mills and Sweetpea’s antics, he could already tell that if you messed with Cooper.. you were messing big time with the cat and the mouse. They might not act like it, but to an outsider Betty was clearly under their protection.

Turning back, he pressed his lips into a thin like. “Yes, well, that may be. I don’t care for pain, but I’ll uh, take it.”  


Hiram continued on. “You should know, I won't be your ally in this, _but_ I won’t work against you either.”

The dog spirit’s features became a little less hardened. “Right then. Goodbye.” He went through the door, closing it on his way out.

Once he had left, Hiram spoke to himself. “You’re not the only one.. my hands are dirty as well.”

—

They can have a few teeth, bones if they want them. That’s not what Sweetpea cared about.

Opening the door to where Hermione was on the floor, laying on the carpet, Sweetpea had a solemn look on his face. “Hermione..”

Looking up with confusion at his voice, she quirked her head slightly. “Sweetpea? Why are you here?”

“I came to visit. I’ve been wanting to see you.”

“That isn’t surprising.”

“Of course it’s not, since I care about you.. most of all.”

He would get what he wanted. No matter what lies he had to tell, or who he had to use. He’d make that dream.. eternal.

—

Betty let out a long sigh as they went up the stairs to their house. “That was really touching..”

Veronica nodded in agreement. “So many moving scenes! Especially that one with Elise and the true emperor.”

“That was my favorite one too!”  


Jughead followed closely behind them with content look on his face. “Glad you liked it!”

Archie was next to speak. “So the date is over, right?” 

Veronica stopped, turning towards her redheaded lover. “Now now, I know you don’t really mean that. Such a shy boy!”  


As Jughead and Betty continued, they came across a woman slung over their door, on her knees. She was still breathing, just completely motionless.

Betty was the first to walk up to her. “Oh, uh.. excuse me? Can we help you with something?”

She didn’t move but she did speak. “No, nothing matters now. It’s over..”  


Sweetpea appeared from beside them. “Can you please not die in front of my house?” he sighed, looking down at the woman against the door. 

The woman turned around with wide eyes. “Sweetpea!”

—

“This is my editor, Midge.” He introduced to Betty, motioning to her with a hand.

She was busy balling on the floor. “Why didn’t you do it? I asked you to stay and all you did was run off!”

Clicking his pen against his papers, he shrugged. “That wasn’t running off, I went out for a bit.”

She only sobbed harder. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

Sweetpea leaned back in his chair, turning towards Betty. “By the way, Hiram sends his thanks!”

“Oh! I’m glad. I was worried he’d think it was weird..”

Balancing the pen on his finger, he raised a brow. “So.. do I get any?”

There was one of her soft smiles that came across her face then. “I’m actually making them right now. I want them to be perfect for you.” With that said, she turned back around and exited his office to continue making them.

Sweetpea’s eyes twitched again as he felt the sense of guilt grip him, but his editor brought him back form his depths.

“Why aren’t you writing? There’s no time! Don’t you understand?” Midge shrieked.

“Fine, fine..”

“Think about how much happier you’ll be when your manuscript is done and I leave you alone! I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth if I have to!”  


Sweetpea cringed at the thought. “We wouldn’t want that..”

Ha. She wouldn’t be able to. Go ahead, she could try and catch him if she could. When his dream was finally fulfilled, nobody would touch his reality.


	11. Ribbons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eek this chapter was so fun to write and also a cute chapter.
> 
> my longest chapter so far loves!
> 
> both ships have a scene in this chapter btw, for those who only read for those. the love triangle is HEAVILYYY hinted at here.
> 
> anyyyywwwayyyss 
> 
> thats it c:  
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sound of the school bells ringing could be heard, signaling the end of the period.

“That’s it, times up. No complaining!” Ms. Grundy called from the front. Today was marking the day of their midterms, which meant it was a little under the middle of the year. To Betty, it was still insane how much time had passed. “Pass your tests to the front.”

The blonde leaned over her desk, stretching out her arms with a satisfied sigh. 

“Miss Cooper? How’d it go?” Jughead had appeared next to her desk, looking down at her with light eyes. 

Retracting her arms, the blonde moved out of her chair and instead stood up next to him. “You know, I think I did much better than I expected to. I filled in a lot more of the blanks than usual!”

Cheryl moved next to her, a smiling Toni following her. The redhead put a hand on the blonde’s head. “Oh yeah? I’m real proud of you, Betty.” She complimented, patting her head.

The pink-haired girl put a hand on her shoulder. “I knew it was within your power to pass this exam.”

The blonde shook her head, turning her eyes back to the boy in front of her. “Jughead tutored me, so he’s the one who should get the credit. The way you explained things was so clear,” she bent down in thanks. “Seriously. I couldn’t have done it without you.”  


Jughead blushed slightly. “Thanks but,” his features moved into a smile that reached his eyes. “It was nothing.”

The Prince Jughead Club watched from the side, utterly jealous. 

_“Damnit, why is Jughead giving them such a cute smile?”_

_“I’m too scared of wave girl to get a closer look!”_

_“Someone needs to arrest her or something for terrorizing students mentally.”_

One of Archie’s friends called out to ‘wave girl.’ “Hey Toni, you’re lucky you got that wave stuff. You must ace every test, huh? How’d you feel about the midterms?”  


Toni closed her eyes. “Oh those? Let’s see.. I went to special tutoring for them. After the test, the school called my house. Ah yes, I recall my mother weeping.”

Looking dumfounded, he was at a loss of what to say. “..but u-uh, what about your wave powers?”  


  
She opened her eyes back up and stared at the two boys huddled around a small wooden desk. “The logical conclusion is that I’m an idiot, so much so that my waves can’t make up for it.”

Cheryl put a hand on her hip, containing a laugh. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. At least you can never be the dumbest person in the room.” Her head slightly tilted towards the direction of Archie’s desk in the corner.

The other redhead had propped his legs up onto it, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head. “What’s that? For your sake, I hope you’re not talking about me.”

Cheryl arched a brow. “Uh, dude, obviously I am.”

Archie popped up then, putting two hands down on his desk harshly. “I never took review lessons and nobody has ever had to call my parents!” He snapped, glaring at both Toni and Cheryl.

The friend that had been speaking earlier turned around with a snicker. “Yeah, turns out Archikins is actually smart.”

“Why is that surprising?” Archie barked back, shifting his glare to him momentarily and then landing it back onto Cheryl.

That only seemed to edge Cheryl on. “So he doesn’t suck at everything that’s competitive?” She quipped. It was hilarious to her that his temper flared up so quickly, even over the smallest things.

“I’m gonna kill every one of you..”

Betty was the next one to speak up. “Oh, I get it. Archie’s been up in his room a lot lately. He must’ve been studying that entire time.” For some reason, the idea of Archie hunched over a book made her smile. 

“Cooper? C’mere a second.” Ms. Grundy called, moving out of the classroom to have privacy with the younger blonde girl. Quickly following orders, she moved across the classroom and then followed the instructor just outside.

The four watched her go with a mixture of interest and confusion. They could still see her and Ms. Grundy, but couldn’t hear anything. They watched her bend down in front of the teacher in what seemed to be apologizes while the older woman held up her hands to stop her. After a brief conversation, she left down the hall and Betty skipped into the classroom.

Jughead took a couple steps closer. “Something wrong?”

Meeting him, she decided to choose her words carefully but that didn’t stop her stammer. “Oh, uh, no, it’s nothing really. I’ve just got to work harder! Swab swab, that’s my job!” She lifted a fist in determination. 

—

Scrubbing the windows, Finn was on the tips of his toes. “You’re done wit’ your finals! Must feel good.” The other blonde proclaimed, rubbing hard against an especially dirty spot on the window he was working on.

Coming from under the table, Betty’s head came out. “Yup! It’s gonna be a new term after spring break. It’s crazy how time flies.”

Finn turned his head towards her with crinkled eyes. “I know what you mean,” Suddenly the boy brightened considerably. “Oh! I almost forgot! I’m going with you to Sweetpea’s today.”

His glee was contagious and soon she felt herself feeling the same. “Really? Special occasion?”

Dropping the rag, he held up a finger. “Ya! You could say that. I got a little present that I want to give you ‘der.”

If there was multiple exclamation marks that could appear over her head, it would have happened at this moment. “You didn’t have to do that! What is it?”

The younger boy erupted in a fit of giggles. “Oh, should I tell you? Hm.. nein, I think I’ll keep it a secret,” He responded back mischievously, picking the rag back up into his hand. “I’ll wait till the right time, eh?”

That only got her more excited. “Oh, I can’t wait.”

—

Finn opened the door to the living room, Betty behind him. There in the living room, sat around the table, was Jughead and Sweetpea. “Wie geht es allen!” He tweeted.

Betty took a step into the living room from behind the other blonde. “Hi! I’m home.”

Sweetpea looked up from the paper he was reading, his eyes glancing at the night sky behind them. It had begun to get darker than usual and he had become slightly worried, but he was glad to see her home safe and sound. “Ah, there you are.”

Jughead rested his chin on his hand. “Welcome home.”

Finn closed the door behind him and started to walk around the area. “I’ve never been to Sweetpea’s house before! This is so exciting.”

Archie appeared from around the corner, fully dressed with a towel wrapped around his shoulders. His eyes found the little blonde boy and he couldn’t have thought of a worse way to be greeted from the bath. “What is that noisy brat doing here?” He demanded.

Finn laughed. “Ha! Did your bath make you grumpy, kitty?” He teased the older zodiac spirit.

Grabbing him by the ear, he forced Finn down onto the ground and started to push his knuckles into his temples. “You’re gonna have to tone down the hyper, got that?”

  
  
Finn cried out, squirming. “Someone help.. Archie’s picking on me again!”

Jughead eyes downcast to his bag, which had been thrown onto the living room wall. The small blue packet inside looked tempting to take out, but he held his ground. Right now wasn’t the best moment. If only he could just find a moment alone with-

“So, Finn, did you tell them why you’re staying over tonight?” Sweetpea asked, unknowingly interrupting the mouse spirit’s thoughts. 

The rabbit spirit sipped the tea Betty had prepared them, putting it down after some good gulps. “Nein! Not yet. Question for Betty!” He put a finger up towards the sky, pointing it upwards. “What day is it tomorrow?”

Licking her lips unconsciously in thought, she bit her inner cheek. “Huh. Let me think..” her mind went to tomorrow. She’d have to pick up the garbage and put it in the route. “The 14th?”

Imaginary confetti splattered around Betty in Finn’s mind. “Bingo! March 14th, White day! As my gift to you, I’m taking you to a hot spring so you can relax. Surprise! I call this, Finn and Betty’s steamy hot spring adventure!”

Jughead looked back longingly at his bag.

Sweetpea ruffled his paper with a chuckle. “There’s no need for a title..”

The brunette looked up at the boy who had since stood up. “Which inn are you going to?”

“Well.. there is one run by the Sohmas.. so..”

“Yeah. Makes sense.”  


Betty’s voice wavered a little. “..um, a hot spring is so expensive. I’d be going without mom. What would she have to say about this?” She was stuck staring at the ground, a pained look on her face.

Sweetpea held up a hand. “Woah.. it’s not that big of a deal. It’s a bit of hot water. He isn’t suggesting you take a trip to Paris or something.”

That didn’t ease her worries. “I know, but..”

Finn ran over from his side of the table to collapse at Betty’s side, putting two hands on her thighs and leaning his body on the table. “He’s right! I’m sure your mom would be happy if we had a good vacation. Unless, for some reason.. you don’t want to go with me?”

Looking down at him with a smile, she batted her eyelashes. “No! It’s not that. I do. I’m excited!”

Getting up and running around the table, he seemed even more hyper than before. He sat back at his original spot between Jughead and Archie. “Jughead and Archie will come too! It’ll be great.” He put a hand on either one of their backs.

Prickly, Archie shrugged off his hand. “You don’t get to decide whether I’m going or not, you brat.”

Finn took Archie’s shoulders and lightly shook them. “Oh come on, why are you such a stubborn kitten Archie?” Still holding onto his shoulders, he looked back at his brunette relative. “What about you Jughead? You’re going right?”

Picking his head up from his palm, he nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

  
  
Betty became filled with joy. That only made the trip better. The unfamiliar feeling of warmth pooled in her stomach, almost nervous for whatever reason.

“See! Jughead knows what’s up!”  


“That just makes me want to go even less..”

Sweetpea put down his paper, a lightbulb clicking in his head. “Oh yeah, sorry to change the subject, but.. I hear you’re a month behind paying your school trip deposit, Betty.”

Clearly becoming embarrassed, the attempted words she meant to say came out as a squeak. 

Ever to the rescue, he continued. “It’s alright. I had a quick phone call with your grandfather last night. Apparently your homeroom teacher contacted him about it. Grandpa said he’d be happy to pay the balance for you.”

Her once cheerful demeanor gone, she was back at square one. “Oh no, please don’t tell me he’s going to do that. Last month I had to.. well, a lot happened. I can just pay for it with the job earnings from this month, so it’s fine! I’ve already told our teacher too.”

_They watched her bend down in front of the teacher in what seemed to be apologizes while the older woman held up her hands to stop her. After a brief conversation, she left down the hall and Betty skipped into the classroom._

Jughead nodded knowingly. “That’s what that was..”

Slightly crouching down in her sitting position, her eyes were apologetic. “I’m sorry about this. I didn’t mean to get you involved.”

The dog spirit opened his mouth and clicked his tongue. “..but I don’t understand. You work all the time, Betty, so why was last month any diff..” His mind caught on just as quick as Jughead and Archie’s did.

She’d spent her money on making Valentine’s chocolate.

Leaning up against the table, Finn twisted his legs in the air. “Where’s your class going on the trip?”

“Oh, we don’t know yet.”

Archie, completely overcome with rage, stood up with two fists. “You idio-” 

Betty held up two hands, eyes widening and mouth gaping as he scooted herself back. “Wha-”

He was just about to scream at her when his anger meter dialed down, managing to control himself as he forced the boiling fury to bury down deep in his chest. He looked incredibly conflicted with himself as he held up a shaky hand, pointing to the exit of the living room. “T-The bath. Your turn. Go now.”

More obedient than ever, she already started to get up. “Oh! Sure! Okay! I-I think.. I think I’ll go and get cleaned up!” She dashed from the room, heading to the bathroom in haste.

Sweetpea turned towards him with a smirk. “Who’s a good boy? Managing to control your anger for once.” He dropped the newspaper entirely onto the table.

Bending down and putting his hands onto his knees, he let out a long breath to try and steady himself. The amount of effort it took to stop himself had drained him.

The dog spirit looked thoughtful. “We shouldn’t be surprised. That’s our Betty. Of course she bought chocolates with her own money.”

Jughead wasn’t angry like Archie— he looked more upset with himself. “How could we not have caught on earlier..”

Archie sat back down with a loud thump. “..because she smiles to hide all her feelings! How were we supposed to know?” He slammed a fist against the table, causing their tea cups to rattle. “She shouldn’t have felt obligated to give us _chocolates_ of all things. All it did was make life that much worse for her. She should have used it on clothes or shoes.. her trip deposit! What an idiot. She’s gonna end up drowning in debt in one day. At this rate, she’s gonna miss out on all the good things in life!”

Jughead looked away, in his own thoughts as he stared down at the ground. Archie _sure_ seemed concerned about Betty’s future.. since when did he care about anyone other than himself? Prick.

Finn had been munching on a brownie he retrieved from their kitchen pantry, sitting in between them. “Hey, you know what? We had some free time in class yesterday.”

  
  
The redhead was not in the mood for this blonde brat to tell them one of his random stories. “Huh?”

Taking another bite of the sugary treat, he continued. “Ya, so we ended up reading a book together. It was called.. let me think. Funny stories! We read a bunch of it. One of the chapters was called _‘The Most Idiotic Traveler In the World.’_ As you can tell, the main character is a traveler and she keeps getting tricked by people she comes across. That’s why the book calls her an idiot. The villagers all scammed something from her. They swindled her outta’ money and clothes.. anything she has to give, but because the traveler is dumb, she doesn’t understand what really is happening. So when the villagers lie and tell ‘er she’s saving them, she starts weeping.. and she always tells them, ‘I wish you peace and happiness’ before she waves goodbye.”

The other three Sohmas went quiet, listening to the story the younger student was telling. 

Having a few seconds to catch his breath, he then continued. “Eventually, she gives away all her clothes. Embarrassed to be seen, she decides to travel through the woods alone. ‘Der she meets many demons of the forest. They want nothing more than to gobble her up! So, each one decides to deceive her with clever words and trickery. As usual, the traveler is dooped. She gives away a leg, and then an arm.. and before long, there’s nothing left of her except a head on the ground,” He took another bite of the brownie. “Her eyes are the last to go, given to the final demon. As the monster chomps on her eyes, he has one last thing to say. ‘Thank you for your generosity. Here is a gift!’ That too was a lie. The so-called gift was a piece of paper with the word ‘idiot’ written on it.”

  
  
“Still, the blind traveler weeps. ‘Thank you so much,’ she says. ‘This is the first gift I’ve ever received. I’m so very happy! I’m so grateful to you. I can never repay you for your generosity.’ Tears poured from her empty eyes, wetting the earth beneath her.. and with that, the traveler passes away.. dying in a pool of her joyful tears.” The boy finished with a sad tone of voice. He finished the rest of his brownie and dabbed at his face with a napkin.

“Everyone else in our class laughed at ‘dis. They thought it was dumb. _I_ thought that the traveler, even though she was swindled out of everything but her head, still cried and was grateful. What I decided was.. this girl was a lovely person, truly. It’s a waste of time thinking about what you might lose in life. She was just trying to be kind. Even if other people thought it was okay to trick her, I don’t think they’re right. So Archie, and Jughead.. what do you think about the traveler? Was she an idiot? What does your heart tell you?”

Jughead and Archie’s minds went back to the blonde making the melted chocolate in a bowl, dabs of it on her face. Some sprinkles in her hair, others scattered on the table. Her smile as she poured it onto a tray, the giggle that came when she spilled a little on her apron. 

No, the traveler was not an idiot.. not at all.

—

Birds sung in the trees, signaling the wake up call. It was morning now, the night had passed and instead the bright blue skies covered the world. She’d made breakfast and than started on some of the laundry she’d forgotten to do. Setting up a big white sheet onto a hanger, she turned back around to the sound of a gruff voice. 

“I’ll go with you.” Archie stated, one hand on his hip. His eyes were cast downwards, unable to meet hers. 

Blinking, she set down her clips. “Oh hi there Archie! I hope you’re having a good-”

“You hear me? I’ll go to the hot spring with you. I didn’t get you anything in return for Valentines, so as my gift to you I’ll put up with that damn rodent. Unless you’d rather me stay back here while the rest of you go off on a trip.” He stood, scratching the back of his neck.

Betty’s eyes twinkled. The warmth she’d felt before came back against full force, her stomach churning. His red hair looked especially nice in the morning’s rays. Hurrying up to him and stopping just before her body touched with his, she beamed. “Of course not! You have to come. It’ll be so much more fun if you’re there with us, this is great!”

Leaning back slightly, his cheeks turned a dark crimson. “Uh.”

Bunching the sheet in her hands, she could’ve jumped for joy by the looks of her. “I’m so glad you changed your mind. This is going to be the best.”

Swallowing, Archie had to keep his balance so he didn’t end up falling backwards. “Are you.. serious right now?” His eyes warmed, feeling himself grow softer. His body relaxed, and his usual sense of urgency and anger thawed. “You’re really something.” He wanted to reach out and touch her, touch that perfect blonde hair that fell over her shoulders like a blanket of gold.

They shared their gazes, Betty’s eyes widening a little. Her heart was pounding against her chest, threatening to escape it’s confines. Seeing him lighten like that.. it showed that side of him that he didn’t allow people to see. It was-

Finn jumped onto Archie hugging his waist from behind. “Aw! Archie’s all heart eyes this morning!”

Hair standing up, the redhead quickly shifted and attempted to throw him off. “Am not!”

Finn only held on harder. “You _so_ are!”

Jughead came out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What’s going on out here?” He said hazily, blinking his eyes to adjust to the bright sun.

Betty bent down in greeting. “Morning Jughead. Archie said he’s going to the hot spring with us!”

“Heart eyes! Heart eyes! Heart eyes!”  


“Quiet! I’m gonna smack you if you don’t stop it!”

The brunette hid his feeling of true dissatisfaction. How wonderful it would have been for just the three of them to go without Archie’s constant negativity. Or, in other words, maybe him and Betty would be able to spend some time together without that stupid feline butting in every six seconds. He guess it couldn’t be helped.

—

The bus left them at _Sohma Hot Springs,_ their bags in their hands and staring at the resort. 

Betty was memorized. “It’s beautiful..” To Betty, it truly was. It had big, lavish doors and the place was quite big. The vegetation and plants surrounding the complex added to the entire look too, creating a little more of a tropical theme to it. 

Finn skipped ahead, extending his arms. “It’s also pretty on the inside!” The boy chimed happily.

She couldn’t believe Finn had taken her here for White Day. “This almost makes me feel like a princess.”

Archie put his lips into a thin line. How did something like this make her feel like royalty?

Much to Betty’s surprise, a woman began crawling out of the doors, lifting a feeble hand onto the door and shakily picking herself up. “Y-You!” She rasped. “Yes. W-Welcome to the inn, w-welcome!” She seemed to be gasping for air, her eyes bloodshot.

Betty’s eyes became big as she took a step back in freight.

The two Sohma cousins were completely unbothered, and Finn looked normal. He hopped up to her with a smile. “Properness!”

“Proprietress..” Jughead corrected the bunny spirit.

The woman began coming towards them with her hands twisting and turning. “Please! Make yourself at home my dears!” She screamed, coming towards them with a small limp in her leg.

—

Soon she was walking them to their rooms, her demeanor now much calmer and her posture better. The limp was gone too. “I’m sorry if I scared you.” She apologized to the guests behind her.

Finn walked beside Betty, looking back at her. “The properness is part of the Sohma family too, but her health is pretty bad so she lives here in the hot springs.”

Betty nodded slowly before turning her attention to the proprietress in front of them. “Oh.. well, I hope you don’t over exert yourself on our account.”  


The older woman turned back towards her with a content look. “What a nice girl you are,” she turned back to look in front of them. “I’m sad. I wish young master Sweetpea had joined you.”

Jughead filled in for him. “He said he had two books due on the same day.”

She wondered if this woman knew about the zodiac or if she was on the outside. Maybe she was one of the animals herself..

The group stopped in front of a big dorm. “We’re here. These are the rooms I’ve prepared for you.” She opened the door to a rather huge form, complete with multiple couches, a vast view, an entire kitchen, and two bedrooms attached. “..and you’ll be staying right next door, Betty.”

Setting his bag down against the wall, Archie grumbled. “Wow, what a vacation. Here I thought I could get rid of Jughead..”

Turning over to the redheaded boy with a hand on her cheek, she sighed. “I see you two are still at odds with each other. I can always put up some screens to petition off the room if you like.”

Finn started to run around the room, skipping over many of the couches.

Shaking his head, the cat spirit looked over at the other high school male in the room with a scowl. “That’s not what the problem is. Why can’t I have one day without-”

Finn stopped in front of him with two hands on his hips and an accusing gleam in his eye. “I know why you’re complaining! It’s because you want to sleep in Betty’s room, isn’t it?”

Face becoming red, Archie bent down slightly towards the boy. “What?”

Jughead turned towards the side, side eying the cat spirit. “Pervert..”

Archie turned his head back to Jughead with the same red face. “That isn’t what this is about! Seriously! You’re only gonna-”

The woman appeared behind him, steam practically coming from her ears as she grabbed the redhead’s shirt. “You! How dare you say you want to share a room with the girl you brought on vacation? I’ve always wanted to believe you’re a good boy even though you’re the cat! You devious beast! This is a horrifying turn of events!”  


Clenching his teeth, sweat beaded from his forehead as he was shaken by her. “You’re the one who’s horrifying!”

“If you won’t apologize than I will, and not just to her but the entire world,” She looked up, cupping her hand around her mouth. “Please forgive this child for his many perversions!”

“Why? I told you that’s not what I meant! I take it back, I’m happy sharing a room with Jughead! Just stop screaming!”

Betty watched the scene, feeling the second-hand embarrassment. Finn looked amused, and Jughead was looking at the woman with slight fear. “Are you sure she’s on frail health?”

—

When the woman finally left Archie alone and they unpacked, Betty made tea and sat around the main table in the boy’s room. “Finally, some peace and quiet..” Archie sighed, leaning against one of the lounge chairs.

Finn jumped up and down, two hands on the table. “Betty! Aren’t you so excited for the spring?”

The other blonde matched his glee. “Yes!”

He continued jumping. “Let’s bathe together!”  


“Okay!”

Archie took Finn by the head and smushed him down onto the table. “You’re the one with dirty thoughts around here!” He growled, fingers curling into the boy’s hair.

Jughead grabbed for his bag, picking through the things inside. He had packed some school things, some robes, and other items for the way here. 

“Archie! Why are you always picking on me?” Finn whined unhappily, legs flailing behind him.

Weaving through, he found the piece of paper he was looking for but not before his eyes landed on the decorated blue paper bag he’d been looking at last night.

“Finn is so little, I don’t mind if he’s there..”

“What? Don’t you start talking crazy too!”  


Taking out the blue bag and hiding it from view, he looked at it while biting his lip. He’d need this later, but right now wasn’t the time to present it. 

“Ahh! Get him off me!” Finn yelped, squirming in his grasp in an effort to get away.

Jughead’s eyes were still glued to the bag, however. All he wanted was to just give it to her now, to see the look on her face.. he sure was impatient.

“Oh jeez you little wimp! Stop wiggling.”

Putting the paper bag back down, he turned over to Finn and put two hands on his cheeks. “Finn. Stop begging like a spoiled child. You didn’t bring Miss Cooper here to make her uncomfortable.”

Looking down, he shook his head. “Nein..” He moved himself from Jughead’s hands and instead moved back towards Betty, putting two hands on her shoulders. “..but we can still sleep together tonight!”

Archie and Jughead shared the same thoughts. He just didn’t give up..

—

The water from the springs steamed the landscape, making the entire area humid. Rocks along the spring were smooth, natural, and soothing in their own way. Water was clear and glistening in the moonlight, making the scene all the more beautiful.

Betty had separated from the boys, in another spring entirely from them. She had taken a little more time to get ready. She’d put her hair up in a loose ponytail at the top of her head, covering herself in a long white towel. “This is amazing..” she whispered to herself.

She could just picture Finn doing laps around here. Firsts things first though, she took out the picture of her mom. She had put it into a plastic bag so that the picture wouldn’t get wet. “Ta-da Mom!”

Heading into the lukewarm water, it immediately soothed her. She could feel whatever tension she had in her back diminish. It felt wonderful against her skin. Settling in to her shoulders, she dipped the picture in the water and brought it back up from the water. “What do you think, Mom? Nice right?”

The woman from before headed towards her, a white towel around her body as she made her way into the water. “Oh hello. I hope the water temperature is okay.”

Betty smiled at her in greeting. “It’s absolutely terrific, ma’am.”

Settling into the water beside her, she let it go to her upper chest before halting. Looking down at the picture in the blonde’s hand, she was inquisitive. “Who is she?”  


Looking back down at the smiling picture of the blonde woman, she let out a long breath. “This.. This is my mother. She died last year, but I wanted her to have a chance to enjoy the hot spring too.” 

Putting a hand on her own cheek, the woman gave a look of sympathy to the blonde. “My. That’s the loveliest thing I’ve heard in a while..” She moved her hand from her cheek, remembering something. “Oh, I neglected to mention this when we met earlier, but my child is a member of the zodiac. Like the young master and the others, he’s the monkey. I just thought you might be interested to know.”

She let out a little quiet gasp. Yet another member of the zodiac..

Looking back down at the sparkling water below her, a look of regret crossed her face. “To be quiet honest, I was very concerned when I first heard about you. Our truth is something we must protect. I feared that an outsider knowing about the zodiac would result in harm to the Sohmas, particularly my child, who has psychological wounds already.”

The blonde held the picture close to her body, pressing it against her chest. Every word the woman said was true, but it didn’t stop her from feeling bad.

“..and I worried for the other children too, but I wanted to apologize for thinking that about you. I can tell you’re a good person, and that you’ll keep the Sohma family secret to yourself. If you ever meet my child, I do hope a friendship blossoms.”

Betty’s cheerfulness returned. “Same! If you don’t mind me asking, what is the monkey like?”

  
  
The woman’s face became dark. “Forgive me I’m so sorry! I understand the world’s reputation on him but he is my only child and he’s very precious to me! He is a deeply kind person at heart despite what you’ve might’ve heard to the contrary! Please reserve judgment-“ The proprietress had began screaming again.

“You don’t have to apologize!”

Finn stood up, hearing the voices from afar. “Ha! They sound like they’re having fun over ‘der.”

—

“‘Dats right! The properness is the mother to Kevin!” Finn held the ping-pong paddle to his face.

She didn’t know who Kevin was, but she had an idea of who he was. “Oh yeah, the monkey?”

The blonde boy nodded. “Kevin lives outside like his mother does. I’m sure you two will meet soon,” He leaned up close. “Hey! Do you want to play a round of pingpong with me?”

  
  
The four of them had since moved into their robes after the hot springs. Now they were in the game room, completely alone. It seemed like they had the entire place for themselves. 

Finn added on. “I’m good at it.. but those meanies won’t let me join in on any of their games..” 

Archie watched the incoming ball, smacking it hard enough for it to land on the wall next to Jughead’s head. “That’s out.. I told you, you have to bounce it first.”  


The redhead, as per always, was angered by just the fact Jughead was beating him at something again. “Shut up rat! Why would I do something that slows down the ball?” He demanded.

Jughead picked up the ball, bouncing it on the table towards Archie. “Those are the rules of the game.” 

Once the ball came towards him, he swung his arm at it, knocking it back into the wall next to Jughead’s head. “Still out..”

Finn looked disappointed. “Again, really?”

“I was hoping you could compete with me for once, but you remain hopeless.”

“Come on Archie! Give it your best.”

Archie bristled, turning around and flipping over one of the other ping-pong tables. “I’m finished! Done! This sucks. Real men battle with their fists!”  


Looking down at the table and then back to his redheaded rival, the mouse spirit looked unamused. “You’re the one who suggested a ping pong war..”  


Taking one of the paddles from the line of them on the wall, she took a step towards them. “Well.. maybe I could play. Does someone want to battle with me?”

Picking the table back up and then taking the ball, the redhead tilted his head over to the other side of the table. Taking the hint, she moved to the other side with her hand ready. Jughead moved away so she could take his place, putting a hand on his chin to watch from the side.

“Just so you know, I’m not gonna take it easy on you just because you’re a girl.” The redhead stated, juggling the light ball between his hands. 

She nodded, standing with determination. “Okay!”

“Alright, here it comes, kay?”

“Ready!”

Jughead looked at Archie expectantly. “Don’t forget, you have to bounce the ball..”

Growing angry again, he turned back to his former opponent. “Oh, shut your trap!” Turning back to the blonde in front of him, he bounced the ball on the table before paddling it her way. “Here.”

Rearing her hand back, she watched the ball come towards her in slow motion. Swinging her hand to meet it, she didn’t feel the light weight of it hit her paddle. Instead, it fell down onto the ground, rolling towards Finn. The boy looked down at the untouched ball.

Turning back towards Archie flustered, she held her paddle tighter. “I completely missed!”  


“Yeah, I can see that. You’re not very good at this.”

Jughead watched, a hand over his mouth and his hair covering his eyes. She could barely see his expressions. 

Finn picked the ball back up, walking up next to Betty. “You’ve got no room to talk, Archie.”

“Oh yeah? If you’re so good, then show us your skills shorty!”

Betty’s eyes followed Jughead as he left the room, moving outside onto the bridge that overlooked the springs. He still had that unreadable expression on his face along with his hand. 

“Ich werde es tun!”

“Th- Huh? What?”

  
  
“It means I’ll do it!”

“Then come on!”

Following Jughead out, she could see him leaning against the bridge looking down at the water below. Walking up towards him slowly, she became worried. The night was gorgeous. The stars were sparkling brightly over them, lights illuminating the resort. The water below reflected the moonlight beautifully. “Jughead? Hey.. is there something the matter?”

He was silent for a second before a choked sound came from him. It was like he was trying to keep something in. 

“Do you feel sick?”

Another set of the choked sounds came from him, but eventually evolved into a small, quiet laugh. “You’re.. you’re so bad.”

“Huh?”

Turning his head towards her, he continued. “It was hilarious. That face you made,” his laugh became louder and it sounded more clear as he put a hand over his mouth to muffle it a little. “You put everything you had into that horrible swing, I’m sorry..” He continued laughing, eyes creasing.

The blonde shared a small giggle with him. “You know, I would have been completely fine with you laughing in front of me.”

After a couple more seconds, he settled down and put a hand over his face. “I figured, but I don’t want to laugh in front of Archie. I’ve never even laughed in front of my parents..”

Blinking, she watched him start to retrieve something from his robes. She never knew that he’d never laughed like that in front of his parents.. and here he was, laughing with her? Betty’s heart immediately warmed.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Here, for you,” He took out a small blue paper bag, handing it to Betty. The bag itself looked delicately made. It had golden patterns on it, wrapped with a blue lace. The lace was made into a pretty bow at the very top. “For White Day. This is my gift to you.”

Looking back up at Jughead’s smiling face, she couldn’t help but melt. “Oh, thank you.. I really appreciate it.” It was true. The fact that he’d even thought to buy her something made her heart swoon in all the right places.

Nudging the paper bag towards her a little more, his smile became a little more tender. “I was going to surprise you earlier in the day, but the timing just never seemed to work out. Open it.”

She almost didn’t want to ruin the packaging, but she was much too curious to know what was inside. Removing the lace and opening the bag, she put her hand inside to find a soft fabric hit her palms. Taking it out, she found two gorgeous gold ribbons. The long, soft fabric was shiny and dazzled with the light above them. On the edges, a thin baby blue thread weaved through, making the ribbons look even more authentic. “I wasn’t sure what you’d really want, but I thought these ribbons would really suit you.”  


Her smile was everlasting as her fingers picked at her hair tie, taking her blonde locks from their confines. Letting her tresses fall to her back, she moved it into two separate pieces. She put them both into buns quickly, and then tied each ribbon into either one. The fabric hung down, adorning the rest of her features. Jughead could not have thought she’d look more beautiful. 

Stepping up closer to her, his hand found the excess ribbing coming down to her face and his index finger twirled it around. “Does it meet with your approval, _princess?”_ He was now so close to her that if she collided with his chest he’d certainly turn into a mouse. 

A little stunned by how close they were and by his petname for her, she gulped. “Oh! Yes! It’s perfect..” she preened, one eye watching as he fondled with the fabric. 

Jughead’s blue eyes became seas of adoration. “Pleasing you.. is a great honor, princess.” He brought the fabric to his lips, kissing it.

She was completely silent, but not because she didn’t enjoy his words. She was just left speechless. She didn’t know _what_ to say when he told her things like this. Her face was burning up, her heart thudding out of her chest, and her head was pounding.

Letting go of the fabric, he let it drop back down to her shoulders. “Do you like the act?”

_He really was just like a prince._

Actually, it turned out there are a lot of princes in the Sohma family. There were cool ones, like Archie. One’s that are cute.. and kind ones, too.

_Jughead._ He was kind, sweet.. nurturing. He was careful around her, making sure she was always happy. Never left her out, always including her. Jughead Sohma had been the first person to greet her, welcome her into his home when nobody else did. The mouse spirit protected her, even when she didn’t need it. He had the cutest brown hair and a handsome smile. He might’ve been her knight and shining armor tonight, but just by watching his reactions, his movements.. sometimes he would need comforting too.. and she would be willing to be that person for him.

_Archie._ He was gruff, rather harsh with her when he didn’t mean to. However, he wasn’t as tough as he seemed. Deep down, he was protecting his heart. If someone even skimmed the surface, he could bruise. He wasn’t as angry and resilient as he led onto be. She could see, that behind the walls he put around himself.. he was gentle, soft even. Whenever he allowed her to see that smile of his, it instantly turned her to putty. He never allowed himself to get too close to Betty, she’d noticed. She hadn’t known him for long, but she knew that she wanted to be the dandelion to his fire, and bring out the parts of him that nobody else could see bit by bit.

—

“I must apologize for not being a better host. Please come again, sometime soon!” She had her head on Archie’s shoulder to balance herself as she waved at them.

Archie looked annoyed as he looked back down at her. “Why are you using me as a crutch..”

Betty offered her a comforting smile. “Please take good care of yourself.”  


“The same to you.”  


Sitting down on the curb of the resort with a huff, Finn put his bag into his lap. “I don’t see the bus anywhere! It sure is late picking us up..”

Sitting back down next to him, she turned her gaze over to him. “I’m sad, Finn. I’m not going to see you as much since we wont be working together over the break. Oh yeah, what grade will you be going into once we get back? Are you starting middle school?”

Finn burst up with a finger in the air. “Nein! I’ll be starting high school. Surprise! I got special permission, so I’ll be going to your school for now on. Bret is coming too.”

Swallowing, she stood back up with Finn in utter revelation. 

“Huh? Why would you and Bret secretly apply to our school?” Archie barked as the soon-to-be freshman boy stopped in front of him with his hands behind his back.

He merely shrugged. “To see the shocked look on your face, of course.”

Jughead looked over at Betty’s still shocked form. “Miss Cooper, it seems you hadn’t realized, Finn is just a year younger than all of us, the same as Bret.”

  
  
“I could have sworn he was only in elementary school and now he’s coming to our school with Bret Weston Wallis? I can’t figure out which part of this I should be more surprised about..”

  
  
“How about everything?” Finn chirped.


	12. Petals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i have a hybrid schedule where i only go two days a week but that still means i do elearning .. so my chapters are still gonna be delayed and probably wont make one everyday like i usually do. 
> 
> IMPORTANT!
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> IMPORTANT!
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> IMPORTANT!
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> IMPORTANT!
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> IMPORTANT!
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> IMPORTANT!
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> please if anyone reads this, can you comment what ship you’re here for? I’m vvv curious on who my main audience is. <33
> 
> u guys have been too nice mwah.
> 
> thats about it!!
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It was spring. The first day of the new term was so always so exciting.

Betty stood with her hands clasped, eyes watching the disappearing students in the hallway. Some of the freshman were adorable, even if some of them looked totally lost.

Her feet started to take her to her homeroom, which would be constantly same throughout all her years at highschool. Archie and Cheryl were already inside, so she made her way over to them with a bright smile. “The two of you really missed out by not coming to the opening ceremony to wish the freshman well.”

Archie flipped through his comic book with a grimace. “Sounds horrible..”

Cheryl merely flicked her hand. “Hard pass,” she adjusted her hair that had been pulled into a long ponytail. “I’m already suffering through this hay fever. Put me in a loud, cramped room and I’d be in hell.”

Though he didn’t look up from his book, the redheaded male’s facial expressions looked irked. “Stop complaining and take some meds.”

Putting her red-painted lips in a line, she shook her head. “They don’t work for me. Maybe all those drugs in my rebellious youth were a mistake.”

The cat spirit finally looked up with an arched eyebrow. “Which drugs are you talking about?”

  
  
Deciding to ignore him, she turned back to her blonde friend. “I’m surprised the prince isn’t with you.” It was true, to most it seemed that Jughead and her were glued together every second of the day.

Betty nodded. “Well, everyone on the ceremony committee is really busy today..”

Scratching her scalp, she rolled her eyes. “Man, sounds like a hard life. Plus, I bet he’s getting malled by lovestruck freshman already,” Half of her voice was sarcastic and the other half was not. It would be a miracle if he didn’t get trampled by some of the new girls. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the prince ends up student-council president this year. The current one should focus on his own issues.”

Betty didn’t think Jughead would really want that.

Her eyes started to move from Cheryl to a big black car pulling into the school behind her redhead friend. The classroom had huge, wall-like windows that allowed them to see the very outside into the courtyards. Out of the backseat of the car, someone started to come out but she couldn’t really see any features yet.

Cheryl let out a loud sneeze, causing the blonde to look back over to her. Taking out a handkerchief from her backpack, she handed it to her with a reassuring look. “Here, take this.”

  
  
“Thanks..”

“Of course!”

Her eyes averted back to the car, but she now saw that the doors had been closed. It was either the person inside had gotten back in or had left her field of vision. Swallowing, she couldn’t help but think to herself. For some reason.. that car seemed familiar. 

Toni appeared from behind, always one to make a ‘dramatic’ entrance as Archie would say. “Betty, I picked up some waves from the adults area that feel like they might belong to Sweetpea.”

Turning back around, she greeted her pink-haired friend. “Oh, right. He should be here. There’s a couple of new Sohmas that are entering the school as first years.”

—

Sweetpea set down his chopsticks with purpose. “I adore Bret and Finn. It’s like they’re my younger brothers. Clearly, I’ll have to be there. I’ll never forgive myself if I have to miss their glorious school debut.” He could sense the boy’s orbs on him, eyeing him suspiciously.

“What? Why those suspicious looks? I’m appalled..”

—

Toni scowled. “Idiot..”

Cheryl butt in quickly. “Wait, you’re telling me more Sohmas go here now?” She exclaimed, but didn’t seem too happy about the new addition. Two Sohma boys were enough to deal with at this school, now there would be two more? Oh boy.

Betty held up two fingers. “That’s right, two boys. You met one of them at the cultural festival.”

Turning back towards the other redhead, she lifted her nose at him. “Archie. Bring the noobies here.”

“Yes, send them.” Toni agreed.

Narrowing his eyes, he slapped his book closed. “Why do I have to? Just send that one instead!” He pointed a finger at his blonde housemate. “She’s already planning to say hi, I bet.”

She couldn’t deny the obvious. “Well, yeah, I am.”

Toni walked up to him, grabbing his tie and pulling him up from his seat slightly. “Yes but, why should I trouble my friend with such menial activities when you can play fetch for us instead?”

  
  
“I’m not a dog!”

“Move it carrots.”

Betty held up two hands to stop them. “Guys, it’s really fine. I wanted to go welcome them to school whenever I got the chance anyway. You can still join me, Archie, if you’re not doing anything else!”

Adjusting his blue collar, he looked uninterested with the idea of the two new Sohmas actually being there. “What a pain. Now I have to see those two idiots outside and at school?” He huffed.

Betty held up a finger with a small smile. “Maybe the change of scenery will help you get along a lot better. This could be a good thing!”

Somehow, Betty had managed to get him out of his seat and heading out the door to scavenge after the two new freshman. The blonde waved from the door before going around the corner to follow the cat spirit.

Cheryl laughed as she watched them go. “Crazy how he can barely say no to her these days..”

“It’s entertaining.”

They weaved around a couple hallways, where Betty stopped at one corner to wait patiently while Archie went over to one of the freshman classrooms to ask around.

He noticed two of the freshman girls standing at the front of the classroom, seemingly gossiping. “Have you met a pair of guys called Sohma? Little blonde kid and a big blonde kid.”

One of the girls squealed. “Oh yes! They’re in our class!”  


  
He tilted his head inside the classroom they had came from. “Go get them.”

They darted inside, giggling amongst themselves. 

Letting out a sigh, he leaned against the wall with one foot against it. If she wanted to see them she could have at least tracked down their class number.. sometimes it’s like she’s wasn’t thinking. 

“Dude! Check her out, pretty cute right?”

Hearing hushed voices, his eyes opened to see two new freshman boys talking to about presumably some person of interest. They didn’t look like freshman, but by their stance, it was obvious. The two brunettes were tall, two pairs of brown eyes set directly on someone. 

“Definitely..”

“Looks like she might be a bit of an airhead though.”

“Yeah maybe, but that’s fine by me. Girls that think they’re _so_ smart can be a pain sometimes.”

“Ha! Fair enough.”

Following their gazes, his eyes landed on his very own Betty Cooper. He hadn’t expected them to be staring at Betty with such desire.. and if he listened closely enough, he could hear the lust hitting their voices. That only made his head start to spin and his fists clench at his sides. How dare they speak about Betty that way, as if she was some type of object? As he felt the tension grow tighter, he knew that one way or another they were going to try and put their dirty paws on her. 

“Let’s go introduce ourselves..”

Something inside him, whatever it was, screamed. 

_Protect._

_Protect._

_Mine._

Mine?

Before the two boys got the chance, Archie skidded over and stood over Betty, slamming a fist over her head and shielding her with his body. He blocked their vision of her with his back, slowly turning back towards them with a look that sent them fleeing the other way.

_“Holy shit!”_

_“Who the hell was that guy? Where did he even come from?”_

Startled, she jumped. Someone, in a mere second, had moved over to her and was right above her. The knock of his fist above her head had also sent her into a exasperated state, but calmed down once the familiar scent of Archie filled her nose. He usually smelled of morning cologne with a dash of his peppermint shampoo.

“Damn scumbags..” He scoffed, moving the fist from above her to instead lightly karate-chop her on the head. “This is what happens when you space out.”

  
  
Putting two hands on her head although it didn’t hurt, she was at a loss for words. She didn’t even understand what the entire fret had been for. “Oh, uh, yeah! Sure?”

Tucking both his hands into his pockets again, he looked down the hallway. “You should be more aware of your surroundings when you’re alone. Otherwise, losers like that may take advantage of you.” He scolded, but his voice wasn’t the same menacing tone he usually had.

With new determination, she sharpened her eyes and looked straight ahead with an even better posture. “Right! Got it.”

The redhead watched her from the side, rolling his eyes. “When you’re alone, not now. Whenever I’m with you, you can space out all you want and I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

Betty let herself relax a little and she suddenly felt comforted by the fact that he had her back. She had never really thought of their friendship like this before. A lot of times, he brushed her off, but with this new semester starting, many things had changed. Archie and her grew closer over the break, and though they didn’t act like it all the time, they’d been able to grow more comfortable around each other. 

Turning back around and noticing her silence, his eyes widened and his hair stood up. “I didn’t mean that in a weird way, alright?” He stated quickly and irritably, turning back towards her.

His sudden change in mood and attitude caused her turn back around towards him with a bit of suspense, though she was starting to get used to his outbursts. “Hm? Weird like.. how?”

His eyes became a little smaller and the hair on his back eased. He turned back away from her and put two arms over his chest. “As if you’d take it the wrong way.. of course not.”

“Hello! It’s me, Betty!” Finn came bursting from the classroom, one hand waving up in the air as greeting as he started to skip over to her. He had a large, excited smile on his face as he made his way up to them.

Welcoming him with equal enthusiasm, the blonde took a couple steps up to meet him. “Oh, hello Finn! It’s so good to see you!”

Archie did not have the same reaction, and soon he had grabbed Finn by his uniform. “Are you crazy?” He barked, grabbing the two parts of his collar and shaking him. 

Betty rushed up to meet them. “Wait, Archie, please calm down!”

Two uniforms had been assigned to the students. One was for the boys, another was for the girls. It was mandatory that it would be set that way. Instead, though, Finn had put on a girls uniform. The top part of the uniform was cute on him. It was a baby blue, sailor-like long-sleeved shirt. The bottom was usually a skirt, but Finn had changed it out for a pair of shorts. The blonde boy had even added a cute sailor’s hat.

To Betty, he couldn’t have looked more adorable.

Archie continued to shake the poor blonde boy. “What am I supposed to do? Look at what he’s wearing!”

Bret showed up from the classroom, he himself in his actual school uniform. The men wore long sleeved, dark blue, thin shirts. It had some white stripes along the collar that dipped down to the collarbone before stopping. The bottoms were either black or gray dress pants. “Yo.” His neck was fashioned with a long, thick leather collar and two chains underneath it.

Pulling away, Finn pouted. “Archie, why do you have to be such a meanie?”

Just because he had managed to pull away from Archie didn’t mean that the redhead wasn’t any less aggravated. “Look around! You do realize that you’re wearing a girl’s uniform, right? Even this wanna-be playboy put on the right jacket!” He pointed to Bret next to them.

Bret let out a long sigh. “If he likes it, then what’s the problem?” 

Finn’s pout turned into his original smile. “Isn’t it so cute?”

The blonde girl put a hand on his shoulder. “Yeah! It really suits you.”

The redhead didn’t really care if Finn wore the uniform, and if he was being honest with himself the boy didn’t even look too bad in it, but the last thing he wanted was those stupid teachers.. or worse, the student council interfering with their lives anymore than they already did.

Jughead had started coming up the stairs, much to Bret’s happiness. He extended his arms, walking towards him with open arms. He knew the brunette wouldn’t accept his hug so he only grabbed ahold of the bottom of his shirt.

“Ooh! Does this mean you’re done with your committee work?” Betty piped from behind Archie.

Shaking his head, he looked remorseful. “No, I just came to check on these two while making the rounds.”

Finn jumped up. “Oh ya! Did they tell you? Earlier, before school, I got word not to mess around. After all, if I crash into a girl I might change in front of ‘dem. So instead I’m going to play it cool!”

Archie bent down to his level just to speak right in his face. “This is your idea of playing it cool?”

“Your dubiousness is justified Archie Sohma of Class 2DE! Your tangerine hair might be a nuisance, but a boy wearing a girl’s uniform is unpresented! Brazen even! Oh, the length of those shorts.. seamless!” 

The voice belonged to their student-countil president, Dilton Doiley. This was exactly what Archie Sohma was trying to avoid, and here he was, being yelled at by this lunatic.

Dilton stood promptly in front of the entire group of Sohmas along with Betty. Putting two hands on his hips, he adjusted his glasses and sniffed. “The teachers might overlook this travesty but I will not! That is my duty, for I am Dilton Doiley, your trusted student-council president!” He raised a hand in almost a salute. “..and to you, I’m the commander of the student defense force!”

Bret watched with a growing annoyance. “Another idiot appears..”

The president stood up to Bret, pointing a finger in his face. “What gall is coming from an obvious ruffian? You’re practically jangling with jewelry. Don’t even get me started on your ludicrous bleached hair!” Bret’s hair was different than Betty’s. It was a little bit more a darker shade, and almost looked unnatural. The main difference were the black roots.

Jughead held up a hand. “Actually, Mr.President, that is his natural color..”

Dilton, a slim brunette boy, hadn’t seemed to notice that Jughead was part of the group he was chastising. Turning his gaze to him, he held up his own hand in welcome. “Jughead, greetings. It’s a pleasure to see you,” he couldn’t help himself as he turned back towards Bret. “..but back to the vile matter at hand! This can’t be real, the roots are black.”

“Trust me on this one..”

Inspecting more closely, he shoved his face around Bret’s to get a closer look. “I am a scholar and his hair defies all sense!”

Betty wished he would just leave them alone. The last thing they needed was for someone to be complaining about someone’s hair..

The president didn’t seem anywhere close to being done. Moving himself away and instead walking up to Finn, he ducked his head towards him. Finn was short, maybe around 5’0. “Now, shall we move on to the little one? What’s the meaning of _your_ look? Speak up for yourself! Is this some rebellious statement on masculinity?”

The smaller blonde boy raised two hands to his face as his eyes started to water. “I-I.. just think this outfit looks much cuta’ on me..”

Stepping in front of him and blocking Dilton’s view, Betty extended her arms. “Um.. please sir, don’t be too harsh on him.”

Dilton didn’t hold anything back. “I am not being harsh, just asking questions! I’m abiding by common sense along with the rules of this institution that I have sworn to uphol-”

“Shut up.”

The entire group stiffened once they heard the familiar voice of Bret. It was an octave lower than usual as he towered over Doiley. “I thought I had shit on my shoe but you’re what I’ve been smelling.”

Shocked by his sudden confidence and words, he stumbled back. “You can’t speak to me that way!”

Taking a step closer, Bret narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t I ask you some questions now. You think wearing a tie means you’re not a bully? Or nobody has ever been mugged by a guy not wearing jewelry? That people with black roots can’t murder a man?” 

He picked him up by the collar, bringing him up to his level. “Just who the hell do you think you are? God or something? Huh?”

Betty, Jughead, and Archie swallowed. Dark Bret.

He started to shake the student-council president. “Well, what happened? Where’s your righteous fury? Lost your voice?”

Archie stepped up behind them, putting his foot down. “Stop it. You can tell he’s got no fight training.”

Bret turned around, eyes widened and teeth clenched. “You stay out of this you stupid cat!”

“Don’t start with me you idiot!”

  
  
Bret let go of Dilton, causing him to crash onto the floor. Turning back towards Archie, he still had the menacing look on his face. “What? Don’t act like you’re that great. You ran away from our last fight with your tail between your legs!”

“Is your brain broken? You’re the one that called that fight off!”

  
  
Pointing his finger back to the brunette laying on the floor, his voice became louder. “Oh, let me guess, you’re on this worm’s side! I shouldn’t be surprised you think he’s right!”

“Both of you are morons!”

The three in the background had completely different emotions. Jughead was irritated, Betty was concerned, and Finn was busy offering his blonde female friend a lollipop. 

Dilton suddenly popped up once the two were done arguing. “You’re unleashing chaos! Why can’t you follow the rules?”

Bret moved back over to Finn, rubbing his sailors hat affectionately. “The rule of fashion is to always wear what looks good on you.”

Face red from both humiliation and anger, his hands clenched his uniform. “Unacceptable! You’re twisting reality to suit your own desires!”

Dark Bret was still in full swing. “You just don’t quit. Well, okay then. What if it was Jughead wearing a girl’s uniform?”

Dilton stopped, his brain picturing the scene. If he looked even half as good as he did in that dress.. “Ah, yes.”

Jughead stamped his foot down. “Quit.” He turned back towards Bret. “Stop this, or I will never speak to you again.”

Putting a finger on his chin to bring him closer, Bret gave him a dramatic pout. “Come on. It was rhetorical, just like your threat.”

Meanwhile, Dilton was still imagining Jughead Sohma in a girl’s uniform, looking off into the distance with dazed eyes. “Magnificent..”

Putting a hand over his face to cover up his flustered face, the brunette bit his inner cheek. “Stop picturing it!”

Snapping out of whatever trance he’d been in, he gulped and started to adjust his glasses. “Please forgive me, I-I got carried away. You are quite the formidable opponent Mr. Bret Weston Wallis.. but can you prove to me that you hair is without a doubt it’s natural color?” Dilton turned back around, shoving a finger in his face.

“If I have to..”

“This should be rich. Undeniable proof? I highly doubt-”

Before another word could come out of that loud mouth of his, Bret grabbed him by the tie and dragged him into the bathroom. The rest of the group didn’t see the rest, except a loud yell of surprise heard from the bathroom and the sound of a zipper being zipped back up.

Walking out of the bathroom with a bead of sweat dripping down his face, Dilton took off his glasses. “Undeniable proof. I see there is still much to learn of this world..”

The second person to come out of the bathroom was Bret, who looked incredibly smug as he strolled back out towards his friends.

Archie’s left eye twitched. “He didn’t..”

Jughead hand balled up. “He did.”

In one fell swoop, Dilton started running back down the hallway. “Fine! You’re the victor this time. Each of you will feel my retribution next time!” He called out before bolting around the corner. 

Finn watched as Bret came to stand beside Betty. “What was the reason that guy showed up again?” He asked cluelessly, sucking on his strawberry lollipop.

Curiously, Betty turned towards Bret with interest. “Um.. so how did you prove that was your real hair color in the bathroom?” She asked, the naive parts of her clearly showing.

Both Archie and Jughead became rigid, the hair on the back of their necks standing up at her seemingly innocent question.

Obviously fighting back a smirk, Bret smoothly cupped her face and brought her closer to his face. “Easy there.. if you’d like, I’d be happy to show you as well. Don’t you worry. No hugging is necessary for us to-”

At the same time, the two cousins moved in unison. Each of them packed a forceful punch to their blonde relative, causing him to cascade into the tile beneath them.

Heaving, Archie stood over his body. “Dark Bret is the one guy I can’t handle!”

Betty blinked. “I’m.. confused.”

The brunette panted. “It’s nothing. Don-Don’t give him a second thought, Miss Cooper.”

Getting up, Bret put a hand on his forehead and lightly rubbed it. It seemed that the two punches had knocked dark Bret right out of him. “I feel tired..”

Archie’s lip curled up in a snarl. “You’re tired? I’m exhausted.”

Their bickering lessened when the school bell started to ring, signaling the start of their day. 

Taking one more lick of his sugary treat, Finn threw it in the trashcan before class. “Oh look, there’s the bell!”

The blonde girl bent down slightly. “Question. Would you be willing to meet some of my friends before you go home today?”

Looking overjoyed by her request, he presented a big smile. “You really mean it? Ya! Of course I ‘vould.”

Something seemed to pop in Finn’s head as he turned back around to the boys. “Oh ya. I need to talk to Jughead and Archie. Could you two stay behind? It’ll be really quick!”

Betty started to walk away, waving her hand in goodbye. “Okay. Well I’ll head out, but I’ll see you guys when school gets out.”

Finn looked saddened that he had to leave her alone. “I’m sorry Betty!”

Archie watched her leave down the hallway before arching a brow. “Alright. What’s this about? It better not be dumb.”

…

Taking off outside, she walked peacefully towards her next class. She had study hall next, so it didn’t really matter what time she arrived to the library. So, she’d decided to take the long way, which was going through the courtyard in the middle for the school. It was the time of the year that the Japanese Cherry blossoms were in full spring, the petals scattered around the grass. It made for a beautiful sight, truly.

Now that she was alone, she felt that she could talk to herself. “That was _kinda_ a lot. If it’s going to be like this in the hallways everyday, Archie and Jughead are going to get worn out in no time.”

An unfamiliar voice stopped her in her tracks. “You look like you’re having fun.”

…

Finn talked quickly and quietly. “We’ve got a new visitor.. at school.”

The two Sohma boys felt their muscles begin to tense. Somehow, they knew exactly who he was talking about, just by the tone of his voice.

_“Hermione’s here.”_

_…_

Turning back towards the voice, her eyes were met with the features of an older woman. She was definitely a woman that aged like fine wine. She had long, dark brown hair that fell much past her shoulders. She was wearing a tight black dress that hugged her body, making her look all the more intimidating.

…

Standing up, Bret let out a long sigh. “Apparently Hermione decided to up and visit the school.” He explained, though it didn’t give off much information.

Finn added on quickly. “We thought it would be best to warn you two so you wouldn’t be surprised. Especially if you don’t want to see each other.”

Not wanting to hear more, Jughead walked away to ease his own nerves. The thought of Hermione being so close to him, to Betty, to his life again..

…

The woman started to walk towards Betty, black heels clicking as she made her way towards her. The sight of her walking towards Betty instantly made her reel back the memory from when she’d visited the Sohma estate.

_The blonde didn’t follow him for a second, instead watching a long black car that sped past her. In those seconds, the world slowed down for a little. She could see a woman with long brown hair in the backseat. Their eyes met for a brief second before the car raced away._

This was the same woman she’d seen in that car all that time ago. Just by her looks, the blonde could already tell who it was. It was the long awaited arrival of the woman who was constantly sick. “H-Hermione.. it’s.. you.”

Stopping in front of the schoolgirl, she nodded slowly. “That’s correct, Betty Cooper.”

For a moment, silence pierced them. She had been so memorized by actually seeing her that she’d forgotten how to introduce herself. Bending down in greeting rapidly, she gulped. “Pleased to meet you!”

The blonde still didn’t understand. Why was Hermione at their school? Should they really have been meeting like this? She hadn’t expected the family head to be.. her. Someone so beautiful.

Wait.. this was the person who hurt Hiram’s eye.

Hermione’s eyes crinkled. “You strike me as quite feminine, gentle too. I’m glad you’re such a good girl.. and most importantly, you’re also very cute.”

Standing back up straight quickly, she felt her cheeks warm. “Oh! What? I’m just a normal girl I-”

Letting out a cheerful laugh, she turned back to Betty with a smile. “Don’t get flustered. I’m just stating the obvious. I’m sorry it took me so long to introduce myself. I’m rather shy when it comes to strangers.”

  
  
As Jughead was walking past the windowed walls, his eyes scanned the courtyard. It was then he saw his blonde near Hermione, _talking_ with her. Hand slamming against the glass, his eyes widened. He had to save her. Who knows what that horrific woman was feeding to Betty? He sprinted towards the stairs in a haste.

“No, of course not!” Betty laughed with her, putting up two hands and shaking them back and forth.

Nodding with the same smile on her face, she put a hand on her chest. “Ah. That’s good. What about a formal introduction? Nice to meet you. I’m Hermione, head of the family.”

Bending down again in respect, she put both her hands on her thighs. “Yes, but please, the pleasure is mine!” It was strange. Hermione came off as much.. softer than she’d expected.

Licking her lips, Hermione adjusted the pearls delicately laid on her collarbone. “Now that we’ve met, I’m hoping we’ll be able to get along well. Please take care of Jughead.. and the others.”

“Hermione.”

Jughead appeared next to him, two hands clenched at his sides and eyes completely widened. He almost looked scared to come any closer to them.

Tilting her body towards his, she opened her arms. “Jughead! I was hoping I’d run into you. Miijo, feels like a lifetime has gone by since I saw you last. Can’t believe how grown up you look,” Noticing that he wasn’t getting anywhere closer, she dropped her arms and instead started to walk closer to him. “You’re taller, right?”

He looked concerned with the fact she’d been speaking with Betty. “What did you do? What did you say to Miss Cooper?” He cried out.

Tilting her head to the side, she looked him up and down. “Nothing.. I was simply paying my respects. Isn’t that right Betty? Wasn’t I just paying my respects?”

Betty nodded. “Yes, that’s right!”

“..but Jughead, now that you’re here.. there is a question that’s been weighing on my mind,” She took ahold of his face, her hand slithering up and grasping his cheek tightly. Jughead’s pupils became smaller and his body visibly started to shake. “What would make you skip New Year’s with me? Don’t you know how that makes me feel? Especially when I’ve been so generous to you lately. When you do foolish things like that, it really hurts my feelings. I wonder if this means you need a little more reeducating. Perhaps some time in your special room as an order. You recall those days. Would you like to repeat them?” Her fingers rubbed circles over his cheek.

Jughead’s face drained of color, eyes glued forward as he mind played over and over again the horror she had put them through. That room.. he had yearned for so much when he was there.

The punishments.. the feeling of being so utterly alone.. the coldness of the tile..

“Or do you remember how to be a _good boy?”_

Something inside Betty told her to stop this. She couldn’t see him suffering anymore. Going on her first instinct, she put two hands on Hermione’s shoulder and pushed her away from Jughead. Her voice was shaking when she spoke. “Um.. I-I’m sorry.. but, we have to g-get back to class now. You know, or e-else we’ll be in trouble.”

Hermione’s hair was over her eyes for a couple seconds, but she pushed it away and looked back to Betty with the brown eyes she’d looked at her before with. Instead, though, there was a coldness present in her orbs. “Of course. Forgive me. I should return to accompanying Sweetpea anyway. They’re probably worried. Jughead, I hope that you’re enjoying your time at this school..” She began to walk away, back towards where she had came from. “Remember, it would make me happy if you visited.” Her calm demeanor was restored, and so was the pleasant smile as she walked away from the pair.

The family head could sense eyes on her, and when she looked up, she could see none other than Archie Sohma glaring at her from his spot at the windowed walls. His usually red eyes were a deep, fiery crimson, igniting his entire face. His face was screwed up in a deep fury as he watched her stop and stare at him. They shared a couple moments of mutual hatred before she offered the same smile and continued her path to Sweetpea.

Betty looked down at her hands that were now outstretched before her. She’d shoved her way between the two of them without even thinking. She didn’t know what they’d been talking about, but she knew that Hermione must be.. dangerous. That look, she’d never seen anything so threatening. Did the head of the Sohma family hate her? Why?

Jughead stared at his shaking hand, watching it tremble in front of him. His mind relapsed back the scene and each time his hand shook a little more. Forcing his hand down and curling it around his arm, he let out a breath to calm himself. “Miss Cooper. Did.. Hermione really not say anything strange to you before I got here?” His voice was breathy, pathetic to him. 

Taking a step closer, she shook her head quickly. “No, nothing. I promise. We really were just saying hello.” 

The brunette looked relived, and it shown on his face. Still, if he hadn’t gotten there, what would have Hermione said to Miss Cooper? Without the coincidence of seeing Hermione with Betty, would she have taken her away? “Okay.”

No. Betty couldn’t be worried on why Hermione hated her. That wasn’t the most important thing right now. Pushing back her own feelings, she skipped up to the prince gleefully. “Hey Jughead! Let’s have some fun. School’s out early today and we’ve got some free time. I was talking with Cheryl and some of the others after class. Let’s seize the moment and do something exciting together!”

The mouse spirit’s once dilated eyes became bigger again, and he felt more calmer. It seemed that her presence, her joyful words, even that smile of hers, could bring him even from the darkest of mental dungeons.

At this moment, all Betty wanted was to banish the terror of Hermione from Jughead’s mind the best she could.

—

“Rock-paper-scissors and these will be your teams!”

The entire group of Sohmas plus Betty, Cheryl, and Toni were all in a circle with tennis rackets. They were on the tennis court, each of them had been convinced by Betty to stay after school so they could all play together.

Retracting his hand from the circle, Archie scoffed and turned around. “How did I get roped in?”

Cheryl threw mental daggers at the back of his head. “You’re not the one wearing a mask.” It was true, if people ended up being sick at their school, they were forced to wear a mask. Cheryl couldn’t have hated it more.

“Nobody is making you play!”

The prince, however, was more confused about how to actually play. “I don’t really know why we’re in groups.. or the rules.”

The redheaded female held up her racket. “Easy. Do whatever you want.”

Toni started walking across the court, calling out on her way there. “There are no rules for Badden. You serve with every ounce of strength, and then you return with every ounce of strength. Let’s put it this way. The first one to collapse loses.”

Cheryl nodded along. “Mhm, mhm.”

Bret seemed a little cheerful. “I like this..”

Archie had the opposite reaction. “This sounds too easy!”

The other redhead was already getting tired of his constant antics. “Oh  shut up already. Just protect your side of the court.”

Following orders, each moved to their respective sides of the courts. The teams would be Archie, Haru, and Toni. The second team would be Cheryl, Finn, Jughead, and Betty. 

Cheryl cackled from the other side of the court. “This is our game prince. Time to beat carrots over there.”

The cat spirit almost broke the racket in half. “You think you’re so tough!”

Betty nudged her brunette friend. “You ready?”

Jughead was still getting used to all of this. He’d never actually participated in something so.. social, perhaps? He didn’t now the word exactly for it.

“Ready? Go!”

—

“So.. Betty is ugly, apparently,” Sweetpea had taken off his shoes, sitting next to Hiram. He’d come to his house seeking advice, and now the two were sitting on his patio. “.. or at least someone thinks so.”

_Hermione closed the car door, settling herself next to Sweetpea in the backseat. “She’s absurdly ugly. So plain. She seems stupid, too. I have nothing to fear from a pathetic girl like that. Before long, Jughead will come crawling back.. begging forgiveness. After all, the boy is still afraid of me, and that proves he can’t forget about me. Doesn’t it?”_

Putting his head into his hands in exhaustion, he wanted to erase that memory from his mind. “He was there so long.. locked in that dark room. Hermione put him through so much torture.”

_Jughead was on his knees, the pitch black enveloping them both. His hand grasped Sweetpea’s robes desperately. “Get me out. Please.. get me out.”_

Moving his hand from his head to his hair, he weaved through the brunette locks. “I guess something like that is hard to forget.”

Hiram had been taking all the information in with care. “Yes, but Hermione doesn’t understand. Just as there are people who inflict pain, there are those who try and soothe that pain in themselves and others alike. That gives people courage, if nothing else.”

To Sweetpea, his words were uplifting. “..and, aside from that, Betty is _adorable._ Honestly, it’s impossible not to love her.”

Hiram let out a sigh. “That sounds criminal coming from you.”

—

Jughead yearned for so much. He wanted so many things. Parents who would hug him, a home he’d want to return to, a place where everyone smiled. To be someone people wouldn’t leave behind. 

Warmth.

While the ball was being tossed back and forth, it seemed like the world had stopped in slow-motion for him. The movement of the ball, the petals that breezed through their game. His eyes found Betty, mouth wide open as she hit the ball with every ounce of strength she had. 

.. a warm life, a warm person.

They exist. They’re real.

—

Toni had a single bead of sweat on her brow as she stood over by the fence. “The sun is setting already? I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. See you tomorrow Betty, till then.” She was the only one of them perfectly fine, looking rather normal as Cheryl walked away with her, holding onto her chest for dear life as she panted.

“How come we’re dying, and she’s okay?” Archie wheezed, two hands on the tennis court beneath him.

Bret stood up, putting a hand on Finn’s head. “Well, we should head home too. I was worried at first,” He took a step closer to Betty, who was on her knees, catching her breath too. His eyes turned back to Jughead, who was a little ways away from the group. “..but it looks like he’s fine, to me at least. Thank you, for everything.” His thanks was directed towards Betty, his voice genuine.

She’d met the head of the Sohma family today, unexpectedly. There was something about her. She struck her as a very unusual person. The blonde couldn’t help but wonder if Hermione was a member of the zodiac too, and which one. To be honest, she’d felt a little scared of her. 

“I guess we can’t stay here. It’s getting pretty late. Shall we?” Jughead had walked up to her, offering his hand so she’d get up smoothly. 

Blinking, she felt her worries ebb away, bit by bit. “Oh, of course.”

..but, after spending so much time with her friends, that fear felt worlds away, like she’d never feel it again.


	13. Halfway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gosh its been quite a bit of time!
> 
> writers block lmaooo.
> 
> i got some inspiring comments so i decided to continue hehe. idk if anyone wants to hear this but we’re close to finishing this fanfic! there’s around 4-5 chapters left. if i didn’t already say it before, there are going to be two parts to this series:)
> 
> “the cat, the mouse, and the angel” is the first part.
> 
> “let it end with us” is the second part.
> 
> recently ive been planning out some scenes and I’m really looking forward to writing them. some things are going to be revealed about the past and some hints that have been dropped will arise. 
> 
> also for one of the ships there’s going to be a very.. cementing moment.
> 
> as for this chapter..
> 
> meet FANGS SOHMA! <33
> 
> sorry for the lack of literally everything in this chapter, but this is like another step in development for the story itself, so please endure lolz.
> 
> ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“What will be able to harvest from the garden in May?”  


Kneeling by the ‘secret base’ was Betty Cooper, accompanied by her partner-in-crime Jughead Sohma. The brunette picked his hands up from the dirt and took a second to gather his thoughts. “Hm. Carrots, turnips.. chives.”

The blonde laughed at the thought of chives. While it left a sour taste in Archie’s mouth, the memories surrounding the vegetable were ones to laugh at, at least to Betty.

Hair blowing over his face from the evening breeze, the corners of his mouth raised. “..strawberries too.” Jughead’s tone was more lighter when he mentioned the fruit, subconsciously knowing that those would pique her interest the most.

Bringing two hands in front of her and pressing them together, a gleeful smile spread across her face. “Oh, yay! It’s almost time now. That has me excited.”

The thought of Betty’s beaming smile and the fresh strawberries made him feel the same. “I’m excited too.” 

Betty slightly bent down, trying to hold in a sneeze and failing miserably. It was still cold, despite the winter season passing. Her brunette roommate looked concerned. “You doing okay?”

Rubbing her arms for warmth, she nodded her head. “Oh no, I’m fine. Just a little chilly, thats all,” Betty’s braided hair fell off her shoulder and onto her back when the crisp breeze came her way. “It’s colder than usual for April.”

The mouse spirit tilted his head towards the path back to the residence. “You should head inside and warm up. I’m just about done here.” He cupped his hands around a specific patch of dirt, flattening it against the earth.

Deciding to be of use somewhere else, she stood up and dusted off her blue skirt. “I should get to cooking. I’ll let you wrap things up here. You look famished.” She giggled, tucking one of her loose strands of hair behind her ear.

Jughead took the moment to look back up at her and nodded with embarrassment. “Yeah.. well, that sounds great, thanks.” His voice still had the light note to it that Betty was surprised it had. If anything, it was a point in the right direction.

Turning back to the path, she padded onto it. As she did so, her head was consumed with thoughts.

It’d been a few days since she’d met Hermione, the Sohma family head. She was worried about Jughead, but he seems to be doing fine. Thank goodness.

Almost tripping on a shoe, she stumbled back and looked below her with curiosity. Before her was a pile of clothes, seemingly discarded onto the very path she’d walked on not long ago. What were these doing out here? 

Betty bent down, hand picking up the red robes and holding them up. It was as if someone had decided to undress here.. the realization hit her right as she thought about it. Could a zodiac member have really-

Something slithered around her leg, a wet surface sliding across her ankle.

Dusting off his hands, Jughead suddenly heard a scream coming from where Miss Cooper had gone. Eyes widening, he picked himself up and sprinted towards her voice. 

  
“Miss Cooper! I heard you scream! What’s wrong?” He shouted from behind her, running up to her.

She was shaking, two hands clenched as she kneeled, trying to stay still. “There’s something under my clothes.” The blonde whimpered, feeling it slither up her sweater and exit out the back to stare right at Jughead.

A snake.

—

Archie put a hand under his shirt to rub at his stomach. “Man, I’m starving..” he sighed, moving into the kitchen. His eyes cast to Sweetpea, who was busy reading the paper in the living room.

Adjusting the newspaper in his hands, the older man shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sure Betty will be back before long.”

Waving his hand, the redhead took his hand away and instead let it rest to his side. “Eh, whatever. It’s not like I can’t make something myself anyway.”

Mischievous, the dog spirit laid down his newspaper and instead stood up. “If you’re really that hungry, I have something that could take the edge off.” He could feel the redhead’s eyes on him as he moved across the living room, picking up a bowl filled with a green vegetable.

Walking up to Archie, he presented the bowl to him with a simper. “Let’s have a little snack. Delicious and nutritious!” He chimed, gnawing at the inside of his lip to stop himself from laughing.

The cat spirit bristled at the sight of chives in the bowl. Archie took his hand and flipped over the bowl with annoyance, letting the vegetable fall to the floor with a slight thump. “Can’t you find anything better to do than screw with me?” 

Sweetpea glared at him. “Archie! How dare you waste perfectly good food? I’m ashamed..” He scolded, brown eyes looking more amused than chastising. The sound of the door opening could be heard from behind Archie, which allowed his worries to ease. “Oh, look at that, the gardeners have finally-”

Jughead dashed up to him, his hand wrapped tightly around a white snake’s neck. He held it in front of Sweetpea’s face with disgust, his face full showing his fury. “Skin this revolting creature and roast its reptilian corpse.” The brunette seethed.

Adjusting his classes, he peered down at the animal. “Oh, Fogarty, this is a surprise. What brings you here?” The older male asked with interest, one eye watching as an alarmed blonde burst into the living room.

“Uh, Jughead-”

The brunette squeezed the neck harder. “I _said_ skin this filthy thing and cook it.” He hissed, shoving it closer to Sweetpea’s face.

Sweetpea put a hand up in protest. “Now now, let’s stay calm..”

—

“This is Fangs Sohma. If you haven’t realized, he’s the snake.” Sweetpea explained, closing the door to his office. He’d put Fangs and his clothes in there for when he turned back into his human form.

Nodding quietly, Betty looked down. “Yeah..” The actual surprise of the snake slithering around her had sent her into a panic, which only seemed to triple when it made it’s way up her sweater. Now, looking back on it, she was embarrassed at her reaction.

Fiddling with his robes, the dog spirit explained further. “Snakes don’t tend to do well in the cold weather. So, he transforms a lot this time of year.”

Betty couldn’t even think about that. Turning into a snake when you hit cold weather? Sounded like a nightmare. Poor Fangs. “Winters must be hard on him.”

Sweetpea held up three fingers as he spoke. “See, there’s me, Fangs, and Hiram. All the same age. So, we’ve been together since elementary school. I like to think of us as the Three Musketeers, always looking out for eachother.”

Behind her, Archie and Jughead had sat themselves down at the table, both looking rather annoyed at their guardian’s explanation of the new acquaintance. Their blonde friend, on the other hand, seemed both interested and perplexed by the whole situation. “Oh, I had no idea. That’s adorable.”

Archie put his head into his hands and willed Sweetpea to stop talking telepathically. “Three Musketeers? That’s a dumb name..”

Jughead was quick to add on. “I can only imagine Hiram’s suffering.”

Sweetpea raised an eyebrow, turning towards the rat spirit. “Hey, Jughead, are you going to tell us _why_ we have snake on the menu?” He asked inquisitively, watching the other boy turn away with narrowed eyebrows.

Clenching his hand on the table, Jughead shook his head. “It’s too appalling to be spoken out loud.” The brunette scoffed.

“Oh come on, don’t be so hard on him. After all, he is your own dear brother.”

Yet another shock to the blonde. Where was all this new information coming from? Why hadn’t she heard about this sooner?

Before she could interrogate anyone, a puff of purple seeped from the bottom of the door along with a loud popping sound. An unfamiliar voice began to speak smoothly. “If you’ll give me a moment, I shall explain the incident myself. I was _dreadfully_ cold, my body weakened. What choice had I but to seek warmth? When a warm human body approaches me at the time, I must cling to it.. and so, acting on instinct, I did.”

Now fully clothed, a tall, muscular man opened the sliding door, curled brown hair falling over his eyes as he leaned against the frame. Raising his hand to his face in a salute, a lazy smile came over his features. “Greetings all. Hello Jughead, how have you been my brother?”

Walking up to meet him, Jughead looked just about ready to pack a respective punch to his brother’s throat. “Unacceptable. Consider yourself lucky that we haven’t called the police!”

That statement made Archie reel back, still sitting but bristling. “Woah woah there, what did that jerk do to you?” The redhead snapped, his orbs going between Betty and Fangs with accusing eyes.

“Oh, so Archibald really did come to live here..”  
  
“I told you not to use that stupid nickname!”

“Okay Archibald, I-”

“I said stop!”

Buttoning up the rest of his red robe, Fangs turned towards Sweetpea with a smirk. “It’s been too long, darling..”

Sweetpea had an equally sinful smirk on his face. “Oh, yeah, it has been.”

The snake spirit sent a flirty wink Sweetpea’s way. “Did you behave yourself while I was gone? You better not have cheated on me, you dog..”

Putting up a hand of mock distress, Sweetpea’s teeth practically twinkled. “I would never do such a thing. You know you’re the only one for me.”

The two then erupted into a hearty laugh, their smiles reaching to their eyes. For a second there, she thought she was about to be uncovering both a lover and a brother. While Fangs and Jughead were brothers, that about stopped their connection..

“Seriously..” Jughead rubbed his temples, trying to get the image of Sweetpea and Fangs flirting erased from his mind for the rest of eternity.

Once they had finished laughing, Sweetpea gestured to the blonde girl in front of them. “Anyway, this is Betty Cooper. I’m guessing you came here to meet her?”

Fangs turned his brown eyes towards her, a smile replacing his smirk. “Well, yes indeed I did. My apologizes. Hello! I’m Jughead’s older brother. Call me Fangs.” 

This was the first time Fangs had acknowledged her. Bending down in greeting, she felt nerves going up her spine. “Oh, right, yes! Nice to meet you.”

Bending down too, his head lightly brushed against hers. “No, no. The pleasure is all mine, princess,” Moving back up, he put two hands on his hips. “Ah, a lone bell in this den of beasts. You poor thing, a captive among foul brutes!”

Sweetpea waved his hand. “Nobody is being held captive here..”

Jughead scowled at his older brother. “That’s enough. You don’t need to make fun of her on top of everything else.”

Fangs’ smile only widened. “I would never! Whatever you may think, I’m paying her the upmost respect!” The older brunette sat down, hand patting the table. “Make some tea, princess. I’m simply parched. Oh, and lunch too? As quickly as you can.”

If Jughead had been angered before, it had doubled. “That isn’t respect!”

Sweetpea even had to agree. “He’s right.. that’s how you treat a servant, not a princess.”

Looking astonished by this news, Fangs instead pat the table a little lighter. “Is it? Bring lunch now and tea later then. Take your time!”

Archie’s rough voice entered the conversation. “That wasn’t the issue!”

Fangs leaned back, letting out a long sigh. “Really, why must this be so complicated? Alright, come Betty,” Getting up slowly, he adjusted his robe and then an instant grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the exit of the house in a haste before anyone could stop him. “We shall eat out! No need to fear, it shall be my treat!” He laughed then, the ebullient sound of it echoing off the walls.

Rushing to watch them go, the two rivals almost collided with one another. Once they heard the door slam close, the two slowly turned their furious gazes towards Sweetpea, practically growling at him.

Sweetpea gulped. “I don’t know why you’re upset _me_..”

—

“Go ahead, order whatever you like. I’ll be having the gyoza lunch plate.” The older man hummed, hand weaving through his hair as he spoke.

Fangs had taken them to a nearby restaurant, labeled _‘Diobi Ramen._ ’ He’d sat both of them down onto the bar and had since had the same cheerful smile on his face. “Jughead and the others will be just fine on their own. They’re not helpless children. I promise, they can fend for themselves.”

The blonde was staring intently at the floor. “Yes, but after all they’ve done-”

Taking ahold of her face and turning her towards him with delicate hands, his eyes resembled those of a pouty puppy. “I just want to treat you to a meal, is that too much to ask?”

Eyes bulging, her cheeks tinted. “Oh no, of course not! It was very generous for you to offer.” She spoke quickly, almost afraid that if she didn’t say it fast enough the point wouldn’t get across.

Nodding in approval, he let go of her face and instead let his hand fall back into his lap. “Indeed,” his eyes cast towards the cook in front of them. “Excuse me, we’ll take two gyoza plates!”

Betty was just along for the ride..

The cook lifted his spoon. “Coming right up!”  


One waitress set down waters down in front of them before walking away, leaving them both in silence. The blonde was the first to speak. “Honestly, I’m surprised. In all the time I’ve known him, Jughead has never said anything about having a brother.”

Fangs seemed disappointed. “It’s not something he’d be likely to mention. As you can tell, we don’t exactly get along. Actually, it’s probably more accurate to say that we’re not close. There’s a ten year difference in our ages, and he was a sickly baby. He was more or less quarantined from the time he was born. So basically, I did as a pleased, and barely spared him thought besides occasionally remembering I had a brother.”  


  
  
Quarantined? 

Fangs took a long sip of his water. “By the time I noticed it, the rift between us had grown deep, with steep cliffs on either side, too wide to reverse,” his tone has grown rather solemn, but became more airy once he lifted his eyes towards her. “Jughead seems well. I heard that Hermione came to visit your school.”

He set down the glass and instead twirled the leftover liquid inside it by shaking the cup. “That can’t be easy. I can’t tell you the details myself, but to Jughead, Hermione was a source of terror. More extreme than what the rest of us feel. I worried that he’d be depressed after their encounter. Honestly, I came in to check in on him more than to meet you.. but he seems to be doing just fine, which was actually pretty disappointing. I thought I’d finally have the chance to act like a big brother.”

Betty’s eyes were staring intently at him as he spoke. After a brief pause, she dared to speak. “Can I ask.. do you regret letting the rift grow between you two?”

Closing his eyes, his facial muscles relaxed. “Funny how life works. Things we’re oblivious to as children have a way of becoming painfully clear as we age. Things we should have done, words we should have said, paths we should have taken. If only we had.. how different life might be,” He stopped twirling the water and instead enclosed both hands around it. “What I feel is more like repent and less like regret. Perhaps, if I atone for my mistakes now, I can let my younger self off the hook. Goodness, the adults sure are arrogant, aren’t we?”

Betty looked down at her own cup of water, the clear liquid sitting peacefully. “You know, my mom once told me something. She only understood how parents felt after she had me and became one.. but she also said she knew it was important to hang onto her childhood self, no matter how old she got,” her eyes became a little smaller at the memory. “She refused to let herself forget. The first time she did a flip on the jungle gym, the first time she got yelled at.. she said that if she could remember how she felt as a child, then even grown up, she could talk to them, on a real level. Maybe she couldn’t completely understand, but she could still meet them halfway.”

The blonde could still hear her mothers words.

_“..and besides, life is more fun like that, don’t you think?”_

Snapping out of her mini-flashback, the blonde’s face became red with self-consciousness. “That was probably _way_ more than what you wanted to listen to but _basically_ what I’m trying to say is,” she held up a tight fist, laced with determination. “You and Jughead can meet each other halfway. It’s not too late!”

Simply staring at her, Fangs’ only response was silence.

In one blink Betty sulked back, back hunching. “I’m sorry..”

Blinking rapidly for a second, he shook his head. “It’s okay, really. That was actually.. insightful. Anyway, I see why Jughead seems to be doing so well. Maybe there’s still hope for us. I won’t know until I try.”  


Two trays were set in front of them by the cook himself. “There ya go.” Steaming dumplings, wonderful soup, and rice were around the tray. The scent was heavenly. 

Fangs looked overjoyed by the arrival. “Our food! Excellent. Well then, shall we?”  


“Yes please!” Taking the chopsticks from the tray, she broke them in half and put them into her hands, getting ready to begin their feast. However, his voice halted her actions.

“Do something for me. Continue being such a good friend to my brother.”  


For just a second, he seemed different somehow.

—

Walking into the Sohma family home, she closed the door behind her and walked inside. “Hello? Anyone home?” She called out, making her way into the living room. 

From the table, Jughead stood up so fast he almost lost his balance. “Miss Cooper! You’re back.” He sighed in relief. The mouse spirit didn’t know what exactly he expected to happen, but her returning safe and sound hadn’t been on the top of his list.

Nodding, she fiddled with the collar of her sweater. “Yep! Did you guys find something to eat?”

Putting a hand on the sliding door, the brunette shook his head. “Forget that. Did my brother do anything to upset you?”

Archie, hearing the familiar feminine voice, headed back downstairs with two hands in his pockets. He could hear the conversation as he made his way down the stairs. 

“Oh, no! He took me to lunch. It was delicious.”

Some of the tense muscles of his back eased and Jughead looked like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. 

Biting her lip, Betty hesitantly continued. “Hey, Jughead? I was.. wondering. Would you say that you hate your brother?”

Jughead was a little startled by the question. “Uh..”

Looking down immediately at his response, her cheeks burned. “Nevermind! It’s really none of my business anyway..”  
  


From behind, Archie’s footsteps could be heard as he leaned against the wall behind Jughead and Betty, quietly listening to their conversation. 

Rubbing his arm, Jughead looked a little sincere. “Well, I guess it’s more that I find him.. difficult. I can never tell what he’s thinking, and he’s so different from me.”

Fangs’ booming voice filled the room. “Then those are obstacles we must overcome! Now is the time to meet each other halfway!” Out of Betty sweater slithered of the iconic white snake, red tongue sticking out at Jughead. “Okay, brother?”

Archie watched from the side with a pale face, too shocked by the audacity that Fangs possessed to actually say anything.

The blonde looked guilty. “I’m sorry! He transformed again right as we left the restaurant and then he told me that sometimes snakes can die if they get too cold so-”

Curling in on itself, the snake spoke again. “.. and we wouldn’t want that!”

Jughead’s top blew. “You’re no brother of mine, scum!”  


Fangs broke out into his jovial laugh again. “One cannot alter the truth!”

Sweetpea popped up from around the corner, watching the scene before him with slight concern. Archie was frozen in place, Fangs was a snake, Jughead was boiling, and Betty looked like she’d accidentally knocked over an expensive vase. “Oh.. when did you two get back?”

Jughead hadn’t seen it, but for a moment at the restaurant, Fangs had the most brotherly expression on his face. 

—

The sound of an alarm buzzing on a nightstand filled Archie’s room.

Hazily, Archie turned to the other side of the mattress, mouth feeling dry. He could feel warm breath on his face once he turned over completely. Eyes snapping open, his eyes came to focus on the devil himself, Fangs, laying right next to him. The man reached over, wrapping his arms around Archie and bringing him closer. “Five more minutes..” He said sleepily, eyes still closed.

The sound of rustling and Archie’s yells woke Betty up.

“I’ll kill you!”

—

Fangs took his seat at the main table. The rest had already gathered, eating their breakfast. The snake spirit looked particularly chipper. “I was left with no other choice. Jughead locked his bedroom, forbidding me entrance to his room..”  
  


From across the table, Archie barked. “Well Sweetpea has a room too you idiot!”  


The snake spirit’s facial features became devilish. “No, that wouldn’t do. He never lets me get a lick of sleep.”

Sweetpea looked up from his newspaper for a moment before looking back down. “Careful now honey, think of the kids.”

Archie looked disgusted. “Just stop! How much longer are you going to be here anyway?”

Jughead’s mind chanted the same words. Ignore him.. Ignore him..

Fangs chuckled, putting a hand on the blonde girl’s shoulder and rubbed it lightly. “Not to worry. I can sleep in darling Betty’s room tonight.”

Both Archie and Jughead stood up, their voices in unison. “Go home now!”

If this keeps up, Betty didn’t think the rift would be going away anytime soon..

—

Clutching the broom in his hand, Finn stopped sweeping. “Really? Fogarty is visiting? I haven’t seen him since New Years! He lives on the outside too.”

Betty nodded slightly. “Oh really? I hadn’t thought about that.”

Bringing a finger to twist into his dimple, he nodded. “Maybe I should come say hello! Oh, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of any brotherly bondage time ‘do.”

Bret, who had been sitting on the stairs below him, corrected the freshman. “It’s bonding.”

Ignoring Bret, the short blonde boy continued. “Was Jughead glad to see Fogarty?”

Betty didn’t know exactly how to answer the question. “Well, uh..”  


Bret filled in for her once he saw Jughead moving across campus in front of them. “There he is,” However, Jughead moved past them without a word. The content mood that had been created over the three diminished at Jughead’s silence. “I get it. Totally.”

Finn looked inquisitive as he leaned his chin against the broom’s tip. “The shop, ‘do. Who’s running it while Fogarty is ‘avay? I mean, he’s the owner.”

Betty turned over to Finn with surprise, a smile spreading across her face. “Nobody told me Fangs ran his own business.”

Bret stood up, tucking his hands into his pant pockets. “It’s true. He sells wedding dresses. Along with nurse’s uniforms and maid outfits.”

The blonde girl blinked. “So.. kinda like a boutique?”

Finn looked extra gleeful. “It’s a shop for men’s fantasies! That’s what he says.”  


—

Betty opened the sliding door connected to the living room with Archie and Jughead in tow. “Hey! We’re home!” The blonde chirped, seemingly having interrupted a chat that Sweetpea was having with Fangs.

Both the redhead and younger brunette shared the same thoughts. Why was _he_ still here?

Fangs took his tea cup and brought it to his lips briefly before setting it back down. “Heavens! You three came home early, no dawdling? Were you just that eager to see me again? Sweet of you, but personally I’d prefer more alone time with Betty.”  


Archie’s loud voice clashed with Jughead’s sickened one. “That’s why we’re here, you creep!”

Bending down next to Fangs, she peered over his shoulder. “You’re looking at a photo album, huh?”

Fangs nodded with a light chuckle. “Mhm, from our high school days. How young we were. See, Hiram is there too!” The photos showed them looking young, different. Their faces now looked more weighed down with age, especially Hiram’s. 

“Three handsome devils..” Sweetpea reminisced. 

One of the striking differences she noticed was Fangs’ long, luscious hair that went all the way down to his waist. “Wow. You wore your hair long when you were a teenager?” 

Fingers skimming over the laminated picture, he seemed proud of it. “Indeed, though it was against the rules. Your turn, Jughead! Come take a looksey, get to know your brother.”  


Having sit down next to the table, Jughead cast his entire body away from his older sibling. “Not interested.”

Fangs didn’t look as disappointed as Betty expected him to be. “Always so stubborn. Very well then, you give me choice but to tell the story as to why I was permitted to keep my hair long.” He raised his hands up as if he was preparing to recite a ritual.

Jughead snapped his head around. “What? I don’t care!”

Archie clunked his head against the table. This was what Fangs wanted from the start..

…

_“I don’t remember approving that length. Get it cut before tomorrow.” The principal held an index finger pointed at Fangs, his eyebrows furrowed and his facial expressions tight._

_Curly bangs over his eyes, Fangs spoke up. “..but sir, I can explain-”_

_The principal stood his ground. “I said no. Rules exist to be followed, young man.” He said promptly, as if there would be no ifs and no buts._

_Fangs’ voice was collected and calm. “I am a member of the royal family.”_

_The older man in front of him did a double-take. “Eh?”_

_Continuing, he looked up and brushed his bangs from his eyes. “I’ve kept it a secret until now, but I’m actually from another country.”_

_“What.. what are you talking about?”_

_Almost as if easing him into hypnosis, the student continued talking. “It’s true. The members of our royal line must always wear their hair long. As was dictated by a divine revelation, given to our first king Lulubata at the tender age of four. ‘Allooto-Mooni’he chanted as his forehead shown with light, and in response, King Lulubata’s body was released. It lunged forward like lightening, a flame, his womanly hair streaming out behind him, like onto branches via soft breeze. You might wonder what was happening to the great Kashapara at this time? Well, he was in his chambers sleeping soundly as…”_

_The principal had begun to tune the student out, his words completely entrancing him. He didn’t have the slightest clue what he was saying but at the same time it all made sense. Sweat beaded down his forehead as he stared at his student with both infixation and horror. “I.. just remembered an appointment I have..” He began to attempt turning away._

_Fangs grabbed his shoulder to stop him. “I haven’t explained Kandla yet.”_

_Looking for any excuse to grasp onto, the man eventually gave up. “It’s fine! You can have long hair!”_

_…_

“..and thus he was persuaded, my locks were not cut.” Fangs finished, looking proud of himself as he ended his story.

Betty was facinated. “So you’re part of the royal family?”

Archie turned towards the blonde and Jughead’s older brother with a grimace. “How fucking oblivious can you be?”

Nodding along, Sweetpea looked like that story had been something that happened on a daily occurrence. “Those were the days..”  
  


Jughead was busy covering his face from the second-hand embarrassment he was receiving. “You’re unbelievable.”

The dog spirit held up his finger. “..but wait! I have an even more unbelievable tidbit. Fangs was student council president!”  


The obvious stiffening of both Archie and Jughead meant that Sweetpea’s statement was the last thing they expected to hear. Betty’s reaction was the opposite. “Really? That’s amazing!” If Jughead became president as quite literally everyone in the school wanted, did that mean he was technically following his brother’s footsteps?

Sweetpea grinned. “Fangs was actually more popular back then, despite what you might have imagined. Sure, some of it was due to his good looks, but what really drew people in was how.. sensational he was. He changed rules and generally shook things up. Generally, school was a lot more fun. Who knows? Maybe he had a natural talent for leadership.”

Fangs laughed at that. “Oh, I’m not so sure. Honestly, I always thought Hiram would have been a better choice for the job. So much responsibly.. well, you know. Do you remember school trip, don’t you?”

“Sure, and everything that came after.”

Jughead looked intrigued for once. “After? What happened?” The younger brother questioned, blue eyes blinking.

The snake spirit put two fingers on his chin. “On the trip, a few of the students took a detour. I’m sad to say, they payed a visit to the pleasure district.”

The student’s attitudes changed instantly after his proclamation. Archie had a look of anger on his face at the mere words that came out of the snake’s mouth. If he could, the redhead would strangle that lunatic.

Fangs moved his hand from his chin to instead put it into a ‘stop’ motion. “Now now, wait. Don’t pass judgement without hearing their side. Any red-blooded boy could find themselves doing the same in their situation, and for what it’s worth, we didn’t go along.”

Sweetpea took a long sip of his drink, words tumbling out of his mouth as if they were nothing. “We were over that scene. It was _so_ last year.” He spoke like a schoolgirl gossiping to her friends.

Archie couldn’t believe what those two were saying. Did Sweetpea really just admit to that?

Holding up both hands again, Fangs continued with his story. “..but alas, in a stroke of bad luck, the teachers learned of their transgression, and they vengefully declared that the students be expelled. Of course, I protested this as my capacity as president.. and so, a meeting was held between the students, their guardians, the principal, and the teachers.”

_—_

_“Minors such as ourselves journeying into a pleasure district certainly shouldn’t be something we’re proud of. For if we do not uphold the law, social order breaks down. That said, I find it regrettable that sexual desire itself is being rejected, treated as a source of evil. I ask you this, what is sexual desire, if not the force that drives to maintain the great unbroken chain of human history?” Fangs declared poetically._

_The principal quietly muttered to his assistant. “Fangs is uncharacteristically serious today..”  
_

_His assistant whispered back sharply. “So he was just pretending to be an idiot?”_

_.“..and so I’d like to make the following proposal about their struggling with adolescent lust,” he slammed his palms against the desk in front of him. “Suffer no longer! That’s right. From this day forward, direct your lust towards me! It is only natural that I, the student’s representative, should bear the burden of their desires. As these acts will be among men, there will be less cause for fear! Indeed, I bet you must be wondering.. am I a bottom or am I a top?”_

_Fangs’ voice exploded around the room. “I am a bottom all the way!” He announced loudly, the principal and his assistant staring at him with such terror that they might’ve been paralyzed._

_—_

Remorseful, Fangs folded his hands into his lap. “The end. Quite a moving story, don’t you think?”

Archie was the first person to yell. “Try idiotic!”

“Excuse you. They all escaped expulsion because of that speech.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

The dog spirit laughed quietly into his robes. “..it helped that Hiram stepped in and smoothed things over afterwards.”

In comparison to Archie’s incredibly agitated stature, Jughead had a small smile on his face and if sparkles could appear around him, they would. 

Standing up, Fogarty grinned and bowed. “Now, Jughead, do you feel like you understand your brother a little better?” The snake spirit thought he’d won over his brother by the smile on his face.

Jughead let out an incredibly fake chuckle. “Get out right now.”

Demeanor shifting, he looked defeated, however after a second hope was restored in Fangs’ eyes. “Oh, that didn’t do the trick? How about I tell you about the chairman’s statute?”

“Not necessary. Get out.” 

Extending his arms for the third time, he began. “It all started-”

“I said get out! Shut up and leave!”

Archie turned towards Sweetpea, looking exasperated. No amount of insults, belittling, threats, or yells could stop this man from yapping. “Sweetpea, do something about this jerk!” 

Shrugging, the dog spirit payed no mind. “Why? I’m having fun.”

Fangs bent down towards Archie, two hands on his hips. “Yes, I’m having a great time.” He chipped in, a pleasant smile on his face. It wasn’t that he was oblivious to the people around him, he just.. chose not to listen.

Archie’s turned towards Fangs with a fist raised. “Well, you’re driving the rest of us crazy!”

Scratching the back of his head, Sweetpea let out an exhausted sigh. “I can’t help anyway. I’ve never been able to control Fogarty. The only person he listens to-”

“Hey. If you leave your door unlocked, anyone can walk in.” The deep voice belonged to Hiram, who had slid open the door with a mixture of disappointment and entertainment. His voice and face remained unreadable, though. 

  
Sweetpea had the look of _‘why does everyone barge into my house.’_ “Speak of the devil.”

Looking mildly alarmed, Fangs swallowed. “Hiram! What brings you here?”

Adjusting his tie, Hiram’s voice was the salvation Jughead needed. “Bret. He told me to come and collect you. You’ve had a nice long visit, now it’s time to go. Come on.”

Fangs looked down, gazing below like a spoiled child that didn’t want to leave the toy store. However in a quick second, he was at the sliding door with a bright smile on his face. He held up two fingers in a peace sign. “Okay! Bye-bye! Jughead, with all the commotion, I fear we had little time to chat, but dear brother, worry not, for I will come see you again soon!”

That’s exactly what Jughead was worried about.

“Alright Hiram, let us go. Bye Sweets, I’ll see you. Farewell for now then.” He moved towards the exit more, about to take a step back before he turned back and winked at Betty. The sound of his distancing laughter hitting their ears told them that he was finally leaving. 

Hiram’s farewell words were short. “Behave yourselves.”

Archie didn’t even know what he felt about the entire situation. “What the hell just happened..”

Taking the album from the table and settling it into his lap, Sweetpea ran his fingers over the hardcover. “For the most part, Fangs doesn’t listen to anyone, but he listens to Hiram. Admiration, he says. Hiram has qualities he wishes he had, but doesn’t. He looks up to the doc. Their friendship has always been very important to him, Fangs told me that a long time ago, and he was being serious. I guess.. what it comes down to is that he loves Hiram.”

The redheaded cat spirit looked drained. “Just because Fangs respects the guy Hiram got stuck being his keeper?”

“Also accurate.”

—

Walking back down the stairs of the Sohma house, Fangs pressed his lips into a thin line. “I’m sorry, this must have been inconvenient.”

Hiram trailed behind him with two hands in his pockets. “Instead of being sorry afterwards, you should try thinking before you act.”

The snake spirit raised a brow. “I assure you I did. Alas, I just can’t seem to get Jughead to open up to me.”  


“Jughead isn’t stupid, or cold, but he is still a kid. There are some concessions that he’s not ready to make yet. He’ll come around.”

As they walked, a comfortable silence fell upon them. The sun was setting, but not quite. It shown brightly through the trees, illuminating their faces. After gathering his thoughts, Fangs spoke. “I like Betty. She reminds me of you a little bit. You’ll both do anything to help other people. It’s a quality I find.. irresistible. Oh, Hiram, against you.. I’ll lose every time.”

—

Jughead and Betty had decided to do the dishes together, one washing and another one drying. “It’s been a crazy couple of days, but Fangs is fun.” Betty tweeted, rubbing soap against one of the blue plates.

Shaking his head, the mouse spirit dabbed at a bowl with a towel. “No, he’s a hopeless airhead. Still, he can admire someone for having qualities he lacks. Instead of being jealous he cherishes their friendship. I think that’s.. pretty great.”

Turning back, Betty could see Archie busy watching TV. 

Her mothers voice rang in her ears.

_“Whatever happens, we can at least meet halfway.”_

—

Jughead searched the locker room, going down each aisle until he found who he was looking for. When he did, he neared the blonde boy. “Bret.”

Quickly tying his shoe, Bret bounded up to him and clutched his blazer. “Are you okay?”

Embarrassed, Jughead looked down at their shoes. “Yeah, um, it’s just.. I want to thank you, for well, you know, worrying about me.” 

Letting go of his blazer, Bret’s hands fell to his sides and a smile of relief came over his face.

_“..and besides, life is more fun like that, don’t you think?”_

_—_

Standing in front of Cheryl and Toni, Betty seemed regretful. “Oh no! I forgot to ask him what type of shop sells nurse and maid outfits, now I may never know..”

The redhead stopped chewing her gum. “Wait, say what now?”   
  


Toni looked back up at her brunette friend with slight mirth. “..a sex shop of some kind?”


	14. Guilty Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a long while again.. haha…  
>    
>    
> for some reason whenever i get this far into a fanfic i have an urge to delete it or just stop? idk why. so that explains the pause/writers block for this series.  
>    
>    
> but i will be continuing this series so no worries <3  
>    
>    
> um but anyway i really hope y’all enjoy this chapter :)  
>    
>    
> it was fun to write, actually, sooo.  
>    
>    
> my baby finn’s backstory :(
> 
> and what is arch sorry about..  
>    
>    
> ─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Betty tucked her hands in front of herself, squeezing them together as she stood in front of the dog spirit. “Sweetpea, is there anything you need me to do around here on May 1st? I’d like to go out for a few hours in the afternoon.”

Jughead paused cleaning the table in the living room to look up at Betty with interest. Of course, she did have friends, but it wasn’t usual for her to leave the house unless it was with them.

Sweetpea offered her a smile. “Of course, take all the time you want. I’ll be out on an errand most of the day myself. What’s the story? Hanging out with friends?”

The blonde recuperated the smile. “Yes! It’s been one year since my mom passed. We’re visiting her grave.” She explained calmly, catching the attention of the three boys in the room. She’d visited the living room where they all were, but she hadn’t expected to receive such looks.

For a moment Archie had glanced at her, but as of now, he had been staring at the ground intently, trying not to find her gaze.

Sweetpea swallowed before saying anything else. “Good girl. It’s the first anniversary, right?” His voice was solemn, almost afraid that if he said anything out of turn it’d hurt the poor high school girl.

“That’s right!” She took one of her hands from the front of her body and instead lightly twirled it into one of the strands of hair by her side. “..but we’re not doing anything too special for it.”

Sweetpea's eyes looked remorseful. “I’m sorry, I can’t go.” The dog spirit looked saddened to give such a reply, but it was the best he could come up with.

Raising her hands in protest, Betty’s face tinted. “No! It’s totally fine!” She said quickly, feeling her face heat up at the notion.

Jughead spoke next, moving up on his knees from his former sitting position. “Would it be okay if I joined you?” He asked delicately, hand letting go of the rag he’d been holding.

Bending down towards him, the blonde looked surprised. “You want to?” 

Nodding, Jughead continued. “I’d like to pay my respects if you don’t mind the company.” He hadn’t known Betty’s mother, but for her to raise someone like the blonde in front of him, she must’ve been a respectable mother.

“Thank you very much. Mom will be so happy.”

Sweetpea turned his attention to the redhead, who was stationed on the patio. He still had his eyes drawn to the floor, jaw slightly tense. “..and Archie? Surely you’ve got nothing better to do. You should tag along with them.”

—

“Say what? The prince is coming with us? What about Archie?” Cheryl asked as they walked down the stairs, two hands tucked into her skirt pockets. Toni was at the two’s side, quietly listening.

The question was hard to answer. “Well, I don’t really know. He didn’t give much of an answer.” The blonde recalled, hand lingering on the railing as they descended.

Cheryl’s mouth curled into a smirk. “Oh, just think. Alice would have had so much fun with that punk. I’m talking some hardcore tormenting!” The redhead could already think about the mother running her fingers through Archie’s hair and teasing him about it.

Toni chipped in. “..and right when he thought it couldn’t get worse, she’d pull him into a bear hug strong enough to break his back,” Her tone grew more serious as she lost herself in thought. “It’s odd. This doesn’t feel real. An entire year has passed since that day?”

Cheryl stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “I know what you mean. It still feels like she’ll pop out of nowhere looking just fine, apologizing to us because this was some.. twisted joke,” Turning her gaze over to her blonde friend, she could tell that Alice’s daughter was stuck in her own world. “Sorry to be such a downer, but it just goes to show how much of a badass Alice was.”

Betty laughed at the thought, but was interrupted by Finn shuffling behind her, grabbing her arm and lightly tugging. “Betty! Please, you’ve got to hide me!”

Betty looked around with wide eyes. “..but, from what?”

Finn’s eyes showed pure glee. “From classmates! We’re playing cops and robbers, and I’m the criminal!” From in front of the, one of his classmates pointed a finger at him, calling out that he’d found one of the criminals. 

The blonde boy darted up the stairs, moving past his blonde female friend. “Betty! You work today, right? I’ll see you ‘den!” He called out before quickening his sprint.

The brunette boy that had found Finn started barking out orders, curling around the group of girls. “Stop you thief! Hey you guys, I found him! The second floor, hurry!”

Cheryl watched the two play with a raised eyebrow. “That kid. I wonder which of his parents are from Germany.” She thought out loud, turning her gaze back to Betty.

The redhead’s question made her think too. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t see any of the Sohmas ever talking about their mothers or fathers. Hardly anything at all. 

_After a couple more seconds, he settled down and put a hand over his face. “I figured, but I don’t want to laugh in front of Archie. I’ve never even laughed in front of my parents..”_

Finn pushed past them, two hands outstretched. He had almost bumped into them. The male classmate that’d been going after him ran past them quickly, a slight smile on his face as he sprinted after the criminal. 

Betty started to head after them, concern was written over her face a hundred times over. “Finn, please stop! This could end up being a total mess!” She called out, walking out into the hallway where the two boys were frantically running.

Holding her science notebook close, Toni watched the blonde. “Look at her. She’s worked so hard. Even if she is worried right now, she’s still cheerful. To get to this point, she must have talked herself out of countless dark moments. I think.. if she died, I wouldn’t be able to smile for a year. Maybe much longer.. or ever again. I might even wish I’d never met her, so I wouldn’t have to feel her absence. She’s put in so much effort.”

—

Both carrying bags in either of their hands, Betty took Finn’s and started to empty them into the trash can. The blonde boy piped up from behind her. “Are we almost done after we take this trash out?”

Closing the lid to the trash can, she turned towards Finn. “Almost. I still have to empty the trash in the break room.” 

Finn scampered away, heading right towards the break room. “I can do that!”

Turning back around, Betty held up a hand. “Oh, you don’t have to do that!”

Technically, Finn didn’t work at the building, but since Hiram owned it, he came along to help Betty with her daily tasks. For him, it was a chance to spend more time with his blonde female friend. “It’s fine! I’m having fun!”

Finishing up with the trash they’d already been handling, she headed back into the break room and handed Finn one of the trash bags. “I really appreciate you helping me out like this.” 

Fitting the bag over the rim of the container, Finn turned his gaze towards Betty. “I told ‘ya not to worry ‘bout it. Jughead walking you home again today?” He asked, tightly securing the bag before closing the lid. Already knowing the answer, the boy continued. “Archie should be a good friend and come and get you every once in a while.. but he’s stubborn!”

The question that Cheryl had asked had been on her mind ever since the morning. “By the way, Finn, I know one of your parents came from Germany, but was it your mom or your dad?” 

The bunny spirit’s eyes lightened up considerably. “My mutti!”

Eyes widening a little, Betty looked slightly confused. “..and that means..”

Raising a finger and putting an arm behind his back, Finn smiled brightly. “Mutti means mama. I’ve got a picture of her here,” From his pocket, he pulled out a small frame that held a picture of a beautiful woman. Her hair was a gorgeous platinum blonde, and her lips were a beautiful shade of natural pink. “Ta-da!”

Betty took the outstretched photo and gawked at it. “Wow! She’s so beautiful.” She could definitely see the resemblance between the two of them. 

Finn looked proud. “She met Papa. Oh, he's a Sohma of course. Anyway, they met in college, then they got married. I don’t know how he managed to attract such a beautiful person. Guess what? I have a little sister too. Her name is Hanna.”

Still holding the picture tightly in her hands, Betty’s mouth could have dropped wide open. “I can’t believe I didn’t know you had a sister.” Blinking, she watched him move away with the same bright smile. 

He began picking up the pieces of leftover trash littered on the floor, his suspenders lightly falling off his shoulders as he did so. “Ya! She’s just in second grade ‘do. Oh, and she’s not one of the zodiac spirits. You wouldn’t believe how spoiled she is. She follows Mama everywhere like some kind of cute duck. It’s pretty much the most adorable thing.”

As they started to walk towards the second break room, Betty couldn’t help but admire Finn. His smile was genuine as he spoke. He sounded so happy. “Mama and Hanna usually come here to pick up Papa after work. So, they’re probably around.”

Picking up the last of the few trash bags and emptying them, Betty cast one of her eyes towards Finn. “It’s great you guys get to go home together.”

Heading back, the blonde boy breathed out. “Yeah, that would be ‘nett, but Mama doesn’t know anything about me.”

Turning back, Betty’s eyes glistened. Had she heard him correctly?

“Oh, Finn. ‘Dat is you isn’t it? What are you doing here ‘ov all places and so late in ‘da evening?” From behind them, the woman Betty had been clutching the picture of was right there. It was her! Her hair was tied up in a bun, elegantly wearing purple business clothing. 

Turning around, Finn laughed and put his hands behind his head. “My friend works here so I came to keep her company. Nobody likes to clean alone, right?”

Moving to stand in front of Finn, she dipped her head and presented a small smile to the younger blonde boy. “That’s very kind,” From behind her, a small girl sped to her side, clutching her mother’s clothes and holding on tight. “..but remember, this isn’t a playground.”

Turning around, the small girls’ eyes met Betty’s. That must be his sister Hanna. Finn looked more like his mother than she did. Instead of the blonde hair both Finn and his mother sported, she had light brown hair along with chocolate eyes. 

Worriedly, Finn’s mother looked down at the smaller boy. “Your poor mutti. She’ll be worried if you don’t come back home for dinner.”

Was this woman talking about herself in the third person or..

“Oh it’s okay! I’m leaving now.”

“Straight home. Don’t take any detours.” The woman’s voice was thick with a German accent, like Finn’s, but it was soothing in some way. Turning back towards her daughter, she lightly pet the girl’s head. “We should get going too, Hanna. Papa must be waiting.”

Taking the girl’s hand, Finn’s mother started to lead her away. As she passed Betty, she nodded to her politely. “Thanks for your ‘hard work.”

Watching the two go, she was memorized. “Yeah, sure.” She answered, but by the time she did, they had already started walking down the hallway to exit. 

Finn had already walked away and took a left near the vending machines. Running his hands over the buttons, he whined. “Oh, what a pain! Today is not my lucky day. I’ll have to apologize to Papa later.”

From behind, Betty halted as she stared at his back. “Finn..”

The blonde boy let out the faintest of laughs, almost sounding forced as he looked down. He put both his hands behind his back and started to dig his shoe into the carpet. “Ya. As I said, she doesn’t know me. She.. forgot. She had her memories erased.”

Betty’s mouth opened and her face was a mixture of shock and despair. It only seemed to worsen as the bunny spirit continued. “She obviously remembers what my name is, but thinks I belong to a different part of ‘da Sohma family,” He started to walk towards the large, wall-like window and stopped in front of it. “Children possessed by a zodiac spirit are born a whole two months before a regular term, and that’s only the beginning of the problems.”

Looking up at the ceiling, the blonde looked thoughtful. “Just think. You meet someone you love, get married, and then you find out you’re going to have a child together. You want everything to be perfect.. but when you hold your newborn in your arms, it turns into a strange, tiny animal. Imagine how devastating that must be to a mother.”

Finn’s words made her eyes start to become glossy, watching him with remorse. He was still so calm, telling the story, but the other blonde almost felt tears start to well up in her eyes as she listened. “The mothers usually react one of two ways. They’re either extremely overprotective of their kids, or they end up rejecting them completely. Mutti.. fell into the second category. She.. rejected me, body and soul. She wouldn’t even look at me. When she wasn’t sleeping or hiding, she was always on edge. Sometimes screaming hysterically. Thinking about it now.. I think it emotionally broke something in her, like Kana. So, when she found a pair of scissors lying next to her bedroom window.. she..”

**(TW: ATTEMPTED SUICIDE!)**

…

_“Finn, your mother might not make it through this, but the doctor thinks.. she may get better if she forgets all about you,” Holding onto his son, his grip was tight. “I know that will be hard for you, but I promise to love you that much more for losing her. If you love Mama as I do, then this is the one way you can save her life.” His voice shook as he spoke, hands shaking around Finn._

_—_

_Sitting in a chair was Hiram, across from Finn’s mother who was trembling in the chair across from him. The Sohma family doctor’s voice was calm, his hands in his lap. “Are you sure, are you certain you want to forget about your son? It’s a big decision. You won’t regret it?”_

_Finn’s mother almost radiated anger. “You really ‘vant to sit ‘der and ask me such a question? Then I’ll tell you,” Bringing her eyes up to his, they were wide, blood-shot. There was a wild look in her eyes as she shouted, “I regret that I ever gave birth to that cursed creature!”_

_…_

“..and that was it, I was erased from Mama’s memories. It wasn’t long before she started getting better. After two months went by, she was even smiling again.” Finn put his hand up against the window, watching his family walk past, hand in hand. Hanna was smiling as she nuzzled her father’s hand, her mother giggling at the action.

Betty joined Finn, tears threatening to spill. She had never expected such a lighthearted, kind child to have lived such a tragic past. It was hard to hold back her tears as she watched the same scene that Finn had. Yet, the blonde boy didn’t have a single tear in his eye. He only seemed regretful.

Sliding down the wall and sitting down, he sighed. “Mostly, I was able to save Mama.” 

Finn had been watching over his mother this entire time, secretly, from afar, so she wouldn’t see him. She bet that day where she’d first met him downstairs, he’d come to catch a glimpse of his mother.

“Anyway, I’m never going to be like her. I’ve decided to keep all my memories close to my heart. Even sad ones, that only ever seem to hurt me. Sometimes I do wish I could forget, but I promise myself I won’t let them go, no matter what.. because if I can stand up and face those memories, I can learn to accept them. I believe that I could become a person that isn’t beaten down by things that have hurt me. I want to be stronger. I want to believe that there isn’t a single memory it’s okay to forget.”

At his words, she felt her salty tears start to drip down onto the photo of his mother that she was still holding onto. His words reminded her of when she burst into the hospital and opened the door, only to find her mother lying motionless on the hospital bed. “..and that’s why, in truth, I never wanted Mama to forget anything. I wanted her to try and get better, to n-not give up. To try and lov-love me. Which.. is just me being selfish, I know.”

His voice broke as he started to speak, his own eyes being watery. He lifted a single finger and his lips curled into a small smile. “S-So that’s a secret.” 

Without thinking, Betty ran over to him, falling onto her knees and enveloping him into a tight hug. She knew the embrace would only last a second before he turned into his zodiac spirit animal, but Betty couldn’t help it. Finn exploded into a yellow tuft of smoke, the clouds parting to reveal a small yellow bunny wrapped in the arms of Betty. His head rested on her shoulder, her cheek pressed into the bunny’s side lovingly. “That’s m-me. I’m the same. I want to be like that. I want to embrace all my memories, and keep believing, just like you, F-Finn.”

…

Going up the stairs, Archie halted, the bracelet on his wrist dangling as he did so. “Hey,” he called out flatly, knowing that Jughead was behind him. The mouse spirit halted too, awaiting his continuation. “Just so you know, I’m going.. to the gravesite.”

Jughead swallowed, watching him go up the stairs without another word. His nose twitched slightly, emotions bubbling up inside him. Hand moving to his thigh, he grabbed the material of his pants and let out a long breath. Of course.

…

Picking up the yellow rabbit and holding Finn out in front of her, she wiped away her tears with one hand. “..that way, I won’t be defeated, and someday, I can find the beauty hidden in the difficult moments of my life.”

—

Above them, the skies were a bright blue and birds chattered above. The two Sohmas, along with Betty, were on their way to the gravesite where Alice Cooper resided. All three of them had dressed in pure black, aside from Archie’s red streak in his jacket. Jughead looked around them, a faint smile present on his face. “Fortunately the weather has cleared up. It’s been so gray lately, but this is nice.”

Betty acknowledged his words with an enthusiastic laugh. “I think maybe it’s because Mom is happy today. After all, she’s got a few new people coming to say hello to her.” Looking beside her, Archie had a serious look on his face, eyes locked in front of him. As she watched him, he kept his gaze ahead.

“Betty!” Cheryl called from in front of them, two hands tucked into her black jean pockets. Around her shoulders was a black leather jacket, a large green engraving in the back that they couldn’t quite see fully. She also wore a green and black shirt, tucked into her jeans. Beside her, Toni wore a long, black wedding-like dress. She had even placed a black, transparent veil over her face. In her hands was a large bouquet of white flowers. 

Betty waved to them, speeding up. “Cheryl, Toni! I’m so glad you were able to make it.”

The redheaded girl smirked. “Yeah, of course. Perfect weather to visit a grave, huh?”

Archie bounced forward, sticking an accusing finger in front of them. His face was red, his eyes narrowed. “Why the hell are you two dressed like that?” He demanded loudly.

“You got a problem with this?”

“Yes, my dress is too plain isn’t it..”

Archie had never seen someone show such disrespect at a grave, especially to someone like Betty’s mother. “Are you crazy?” He howled.

Jughead stood by Betty wide-eyed, looking over the blonde’s friends. “Um, excuse me but, that’s the kind of coat biker gangs wear.. right?”

Pointing to her jacket, the redhead’s smirk never faltered. “Huh. You know your stuff. This belonged to Betty’s mom before she passed it onto me,” Turning around, she pulled back her hair to reveal the large serpent engraved into the leather, two heads protruding from either side of the snake. “The esteemed coat of the Serpent Queen.”

Blinking, Jughead looked around for a second before his eyes landed back on the leather jacket. “Oh, uh, of course.. what is that?”

Raising a finger, Betty was the first one to answer. “That was Mom’s name when she was an active member.”

Jughead still looked confused. Member of what?

“Well, the gangs all here. Let’s hit the road!” Cheryl twisted on her heel, turning around and heading further into the cemetery. Toni followed behind her, hands balancing the bouquet carefully.

The mouse spirit watched them walk away. Those girls..

Their words still hadn’t blown off the steam Archie had. Could they be more ridiculous?

As they walked as a group, they headed further and further until Cheryl stopped at the last one of the fourth row they’d got into. It was a large, gray slab of stone that had been sculpted to look like a nicely-shaped pillar. Engraved into the stone was _Alice Cooper,_ along with _Cooper Family._

Cheryl seemed surprised as she looked at the grave. “Huh, it’s already pretty clean.” Clean was an understatement. Any traces of dirt around it had been discarded, leaving everything around Alice’s grave completely spotless. Two small vases of flowers had been left on either side, along with a small container of dumplings. 

Once the five had stopped, Betty was at the front, looking over the grave with admiration. “It must have been my Grandpa. See? Look, he knows what Mom’s favorite food is.”

Archie remembered the man specifically because he’d slapped that asshole of a cousin., but also because he’d randomly left for Hawaii during New Year’s. “Oh yeah, that guy. What’s his deal? Is he your Mom’s dad?”

Shaking her head, Betty continued looking at the memorial. “No, he’s my father’s dad.”

Cheryl added onto Betty’s explanation. “Yeah, our Alice didn’t talk to her parents too much.”

Jughead turned to Betty, eyebrows furrowing. “..and what about.. your dad?”

The blonde stilled, but for only a second before she relaxed again. “Apparently, he caught a really bad cold.. and then he died. I was pretty little when it happened, so I don’t remember much about him.”

The rat spirit went back to when he had caught a cold himself. No wonder she was so worried when he felt sick. He’d been so confused at the time, but now he understood. 

Amid his thoughts, the group of girls had gone straight to the grave to kneel in front of it, Betty at its middle. She closed her eyes, pressing her hands together in a praying motion. “Hi, Mom. It’s me and my friends.”

Kneeling too, Cheryl examined the grave a little more. “Well, the old man cleaned it up pretty good. There’s nothing to do. Even the flowers look new.”

Jughead was still lost in thought. Her father died, and then her mother. He didn’t understand. How is it that she can still smile and be cheerful? Why isn’t she radiating despair instead? He remembered the day it happened. 

Their homeroom teacher burst through the door to their Biology class, alerting the entire room. She spoke quietly and quickly to their teacher and then retrieved her. Miss Cooper was obviously surprised, and after they spoke a little, she ran from the classroom. Her two friends immediately went after her, and of course, the other students all gossiped.

He remembered wondering for a second whether one of her relatives had gotten into the accident.. but, he didn’t give it much thought. At the time, he was only vaguely aware that someone named Betty Cooper even existed in this world. Now, they lived beside each other in the same house, and she’s always close by. 

“Hey, Jughead! Look at these flowers, aren’t they wonderful?” She had taken the flowers Toni had brought, showcasing them to her brunette friend with delight. 

Somehow, against all odds, he couldn’t help but smile when she did.

“Oh.. not good.. I messed up the arrangement.”

“Give them here. Prince, you hold these.”

“Okay.”

Archie had since walked away, over to where a balcony of the city. He needed to be away from them even just for a little while. Breathing in the fresh air, he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked ahead. He could hear the heel clicks of Toni behind him. “I was wondering. Can you, uh, see ghosts and stuff like that? Like are there any here now?”

Stopping behind him, she shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “I’d need spiritual power, and I don’t possess that.”

Archie craned his head around, squinting. “What? What about that weird wave stuff?”

“Waves and spiritual power are completely different. We mustn’t confuse them. When I say I hear waves, think about them as human thoughts. Thoughts that pass from brain to brain.”

He already regretted asking Toni about it.

Quirking her head, she watched him turn back around to look at the city below. “Tell me, why the sudden interest?” She asked, pink hair lightly blowing from the breeze that flowed past them.

Shrugging, Archie breathed out of his nose. “No real reason. I was just wondering.”

“Think of it this way. Living humans are stronger than the dead. The waves of those who’ve left us are most likely very weak. So, they end up being drowned out by those who still feel the powerful light of the sun. The dead can’t be heard. It’s interesting, right now, it feels as if your waves are screaming at me. Why is it that this graveyard fills you with such chaos?”

Suddenly, a powerful wind swept over them, forcing Toni’s veil to move with it. It revealed more of her face as Archie turned around, eyes wide. His fist clenched at his side.

“..and guilt.”

Betty strode up to them, accidentally making her way into their conversation. “Hey, you two, what’s up? I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Fist unclenching, he looked the opposite way of his blonde housemate. “No, you’re good.”

Nodding in agreement, Toni responded as if nothing had happened. “Indeed.”

Hand reaching for Archie’s arm, the blonde took a hold of it without any protest from the redhead, only a conflicted look on his face as he was half-dragged half-lead back to the grave. “In that case, come with me. We’re all set up now.”

Toni followed behind, stopping where a picnic had begun. Below them was a large blanket, and a big container filled with food in the middle. Paper plates and plastic forks had been distributed evenly for five people. Moving away from Betty, Archie’s eyes bulged. “You shouldn’t have a picnic in a damn cemetery!”

Cheryl had since sat down, opening up a cold water bottle and throwing the cap onto the blanket. “Get a grip, loser. The rowdier we are the happier Alice is.”

Not budging, the cat spirit was still heavily conflicted. “What if someone sees us?”

“We’ll just apologize, jeez, chill out. Will you sit down already? I can’t relax with you hovering over me.”

Even Jughead would admit this was a little odd.

Archie folded his arm over his chest, sitting down next to Betty. “Fine. Here, you happy?”

Opening his chopsticks, Jughead looked at Cheryl before down at his plate of food. “From what I can tell, it seems you two were both close with Miss Cooper’s mother.”

Nodding, Cheryl had a smile on her face. “Yeah. She was good to us. Plus, she was such a big deal that I looked up to her before ever meeting her in person. She was the legendary Serpent Queen. They say whenever she rode her motorcycle, her blonde hair looked like snakes slithering in the wind.”

—

Waving goodbye to the three, which consisted of Archie, Betty, and Jughead, Cheryl stopped. Toni and her stood side by side, simply watching them leave back to the Sohma home. “I’ve been noticing. Lately, those guys seem like they’re better and better the more I see them all together. The prince certainly seems more chill talking to mere mortals, and no matter what Archie says, he cares about Betty. Maybe one day either of them will find the courage and confess their love to her.”

Toni pursed her lips. “That won’t do. I won't allow someone to get into a relationship with Betty so easily.”

Rolling her eyes, Cheryl side-eyed her pink-haired friend. “What are you, an overbearing dad?”

Walking back, Toni led the way home. “Something like that. Besides, I’m half-joking.”

Following her, Cheryl snickered. “That means you’re half serious.”

Toni weighed her thoughts carefully. “As always, those Sohma boys exert such harsh waves. Confusion. Chaos. I couldn’t tell you why, but their minds seemed to be ruled by dark, troubled thoughts. It’s almost palpable. All humans have such thoughts of course, but those two are plagued by them to an excessive degree. As long as that reigns the case, they probably don’t have the capacity for romance. If I’m being quite honest, they’re rather dense at the concept of love.”

Stopping next to her, Cheryl took in her words and then morphed in some of her own. “That goes for our Betty, too. Who knows. Sometimes feelings sprout for no real reason, sprouting before you can even realize it.”

—

Sitting on the patio, Betty had a cup of green tea in her hand, enjoying both the warmth of the cup and the sun’s evening rays. It was almost sunset, so she wanted to enjoy the golden hour before the moon came out. She didn’t think there was anything more refreshing than a cup of tea after a long day. 

She had such a fun time visiting the grave earlier, and she was so glad she finally got to introduce Archie and Jughead to her mother. Those two were always helping her out, even when they didn’t know it. She hoped her mother got the chance to meet Sweetpea some time too. 

Betty wished she could tell her mother that every day she spent living in this house is a good day. She enjoyed it more and more. 

Her mother could watch over her without worrying anymore.

She was just fine.

—

Looking down at the blonde below him, Archie had stumbled upon a sleeping Betty. Gazing at her sleeping form, the cat spirit put a hand on his hip. “Did you seriously make tea and then fall asleep out here?” He asked aloud.

Getting onto his knees, he put two fingers on her head and pushed them into her head. “Hey, get up. You’re gonna catch a cold.” The blonde turned around, laughing, which made the redhead stumble back in surprise. However, her eyes fluttered closed again, which meant that her laughing outburst had been part of her slumber.

Sitting down next to her, he put a hand on his head and shook his head. It was like waking a child.. 

Looking back down at her again, he watched the way her chest fell and then rose again. Her facial muscles were completely relaxed, and her blonde hair was around her face like little curtains. “Hey.” He said more gently, waiting for a response. Nothing came.

Swallowing, he started to lean down towards her face.

Jughead moved out of his bedroom, hearing the wind blowing loudly from his quarters.Papers flew out of the blonde’s bedroom, which he quickly bent down to pick up. The breeze must've knocked these over. Miss Cooper was always leaving her bedroom window open. 

His eyes cast forward to where more papers were flying when his eyes landed on a blue hat in the middle of the room. Looking more closely, he felt his entire body stiffen. Jughead’s pupils dilated as he saw the hat. 

_No._

Hovering his mouth over her ear, the cat spirit whispered.

_ “I’m sorry.” _


End file.
